2.5 Years of Something Great

Dear Beckham,

Your personality is WILD.  You literally run in circles screaming.  Speaking of screaming, you really don’t have a “talking” voice…you yell everything. We’re constantly working on using an inside voice with you.  You are SOOOO fast.  You’ve always had great gross motor skills and we can really start to see it through your running.  I’m not surprised you’re fast (your dad and I were both really fast in sports) and it’s exciting to see it in you as well!



I can’t really explain your personality in words, but if I had to list a few words I would say: Busy. Funny. Energetic. Determined. Strong-Willed. Sweet. Playful. Observant. Loud.  You are all BOY and I’ve learned a lot about how to parent differently than I thought I would.  I remember you crawling on top of a small table outside and I freaked out.  Now? I don’t even think twice about it. 



Things you like to do with your MOM: We do A LOT together!  You’re my little buddy and partner in crime.  We run a lot of errands together.  You’re my “helper” at the grocery store looking for certain items and helping me place throw them in the basket.  We have play dates with friends.  We go to Chick-fil-a a lot.  You call it “Cow” because there is a cow in the restaurant.  Every time we drive by it, you yell “COW!”  You also are very familiar with Starbucks.  I love how you pronounce it.  You actually like coffee and request demand a “sip of mommy’s” drink.  We bake a lot together also.  Your favorite thing to do right now is go to the mall.  We’ll go and first play with the trains in the bookstore, ride the carrousel, eat at “Cow” and then play in the kid area play ground if we have time.  We also started getting “choo choo” (aka Thomas the Train) books at the library, but you tore a page out of one of them, so we’re taking a break.  We like to go to parks, and every now and then, we’ll go on ice cream and popcorn dates.  You also like to help me pick out nail polish colors in the store.  Usually mine are painted, so you gladly give me your fingers to try different colors.  I think you are getting too old for it…I don’t want you to like getting your nails painted 🙂  I LOVE that I have spent so much time with you at home and it’s something I will cherish forever.  You have been a mama’s boy till about this month (June).  Now you are preferring your daddy!  I’m 39 weeks pregnant right now, so a lot of my energy is being sucked out of me…literally.  So, your dad and you have had so much fun burning some of that off!  You are a textbook boy…preferring mommy from 0-3 and daddy around 3.  I’m not sure what you will know or have experienced from your dad once you read this, but he is a good man to grow up to be like.   
    

Things you like to do with your DAD:  PARK…you and dad go to the park all the time.  The weather is great right now, so as soon as he gets home, you guys like to walk to the park and play.  You’ve got a “park routine” – He pushes you in your little car and when you get to the bottom of the hill, you need to get out and walk the rest of the way.  You play with rocks on the way, swing in the big kid swing now, can climb all the equipment with little help, if any.  You like to throw wood chips/rocks in the pond, look at the fish, and walk down the creek bed.  Then on your way back you stop under the bridge (in the tunnel) and yell to hear your echo.  And of course when you get to the door, you ring the door bell one million times before you come in.  You also “pull weeds” with him.  You pretty much just rip up the grass, but you like to help.  You spend a lot of time outdoors with him.  During basketball season, it’s pretty much just you and I all day and night, but when your dad is home, he is very much devoted to YOU.  He does bath/bed time routine pretty much every night.  You’ll do a bath, get dressed, play a little, brush your teeth, and then he reads you a few books before bed.  You LOVE to read books!  I’m sure you guys will get even closer when your little brother arrives.  I’m glad you have a good father to look up to.  They say little boys look up to their dads and COPY their actions.  I can already see that.  He just started doing “manly yoga” and you like to do it with him, as well as push ups on his back.  He’s a good one to copy…you will be amazed at what a rare dad you have as you grow older…a man of God and the best non-professional financial planner you’ll meet (well he’s better than most professionals too).  You sure do love him and it’s fun to watch you get excited when he comes through the door!

Sleep: Hmmm…you’re a night owl!  You love to stay up late and wake up late.  You still nap a good 2 hours or more.  If you don’t nap, you go down much smoother, but I’m not giving up that nap time yet.  I would say a typical sleep schedule is waking up at 8:30, nap at 1:30-3:30/4, and in bed around 9:00/9:30.  Sometimes you won’t fall asleep till 10 or later.


Potty Training: I have casually been potty training you, but you are still in diapers.  You will go pee in the toilet before bath and if your diaper is off (most of the time).  But poop…you prefer to do that in a diaper.  You will go and hide somewhere to do this and tell me “Go away mommy.”  It’s been a battle to get you to do this in the toilet, but I haven’t really pushed you too hard with this.  Frankly, because I’m exhausted and I know how much work, physically and emotionally, this will take from me.  At this point, I’ll probably just wait till after the baby is born. 

Pre-School: You started preschool last Fall right before you turned 2.  You’re “off” now for summer.  You have LOVED it and the church you are going to is amazing.  You really have grown a lot this year.  You love your teachers, your classmates (6 of 8 are boys…oh your poor teachers), and your fitness and music class!  I love when you come home and show me things you are learning at school (riding a bike on the ground, the Bible, songs, art, etc).  It’s the perfect medium between being home and being in day care.  Just a few hours, a couple of days a week.  I’m grateful we were able to afford it this year.  I’m sure you will miss it this summer.






Food: This could be its own post, but you basically LOVE fruit, love carbs, eat most of your veggies, love my crock pot beans, and pretty much do not like meat.  Oh and you are obsessed with sweets.  Suckers and chocolate are your favorite.  Still on whole milk (cows) for breakfast and dinner.  Most lunches, I let you have Honest Organic juice.  And lots of water in between.  You’re favorite fruit in the summer is watermelon.  
   





Brother: You are going to be a big brother in a about a week and so far you are pretty excited.  You talk to the baby, but you also hit him too…ouch!  You really LOVE babies right now and are super sweet to them, so I assume you will be pretty sweet to your little brother, until maybe you realize he’s not going any where.  On the other hand, you get jealous when another baby/child comes to me…you say “my mommy.”  I actually love it.

Lastly, I have to mention how much you adore your “Buppy” (bunny)!  Pretty sure at least 50% of your pictures have your beloved bunny in them.  You used to only sleep with him, but now you want him ALL.THE.TIME.  You really love him and it’s pretty sweet.  You suck your thumb with him, which is not good, but I’m hoping you will grow out of this.

I love you buddy!  Cannot imagine my life without you!

Love,
Mommy