Grady 2.0!!

He is two.  Even though our boy has been acting like a two year old for some time with the funny things he says and the crazy tantrums he throws,  I cannot believe that he is officially two.   For the month leading up to his birthday when I'd ask him how old he was he'd say "Only one right now. Two soon."  Now I ask him how old he is and he proudly announces "Two!  Not one anymore- No!".  Grady at two is still a ball of fire and energy.  He is always on the go and lately has two speeds, running and galloping.  He is intuitive, inquisitive, funny, expressive, adventurous, loving and tender.   Grady boy, we've loved these last two years more than you know.  You are our world (at least until October) and we are so proud that your baby brother has such a shining example of an awesome kid to look up to.  We love you G-buddy and loved celebrating your special day with you!

Grady fun facts:

• He looks like summer.  He's got white hair, sparkly blue eyes, red lips, and skin that actually tanned this year (who knew!).  Nobody says he looks just like me or just like Christopher so we think he is just a good combination of us both. 
• At his two year check up he was 35.75 inches tall (87%) and 27 pounds (36%).  He clearly takes after his dad here.
• He may grow up to be sports broadcaster because the kid is still very good at giving the play by play of life's every moment, "mommy awake, mommy got wet hair, daddy holding very hot coffee, Grady not hold very hot coffee, its dangerous, only daddy hold hot coffee, daddy stirring oatmeal . . . etc."  I thought at some point this constant play by play would wear off, but it has not. It is a riot most of the time. 
• He definitely has picked up on the phrasing of the adults around him.  When he messes something up he says "Oh darn it."  I am not sure who can claim this one.  When he gives someone a kiss he says "Oh that was so nice" in a high pitched sing songy voice (definitely gets that one from me).  When we make the slightest move to redirect his activity, he turns to us, shakes his little pointer finger and says "one more minute, one more minute, just one more minute."  He also regularly announces "Good job Grady" or "you did it!" when he accomplishes something.
• He loves water, jumping and being outside more than anything.  He loves to jump with the sprinkler on the trampoline and float around the pool.  While daddy has been working on Grady's big boy room, he and I have made a summer night tradition of jumping on the trampoline in pajamas.  
• He has some darling phrases of his own.  Instead of saying "give daddy a kiss"  he'll say "Grady bring daddy a kiss" or "Grady bring daddy a hug."  He also says "kiss daddy's heart".
• He has started to create a pretend world all his own.  He brings us dinner in his little play cups, brings daddy imaginary golf clubs, and makes up stories about random people we pass by on the street "He coming back from having beer with friends, yeah."  
• His favorite treats are hot dogs, donuts, and fruit chews. 
• He loves his Bella and when she barks now, he'll go up to her and tilt his head and sweetly ask "What barking at Bella?"  He seems confused when she doesn't answer.
• Although he is incapable of watching TV for more than a few minutes he frequently asks to watch "Little Eintein (AKA little Einsteins) and Peppa Pig.  He has also perfected quite the adorable British accent when talking like Peppa Pig.
• He has started to sing songs on his own with some interesting lyrics of all his own.
• Just before his birthday he completed his first real somersault!   I was quite impressed. 
• He drops the S on words that start with s followed by a consonant.  Pider = Spider, Tar = Star, Cared = Scared, Crubbing =Scrubbing, and perhaps the best Cooter = Scooter and so forth.  When I try to get him to say the s sound it goes like this "sssssss (insert pause here) tar".  It is adorable. S is also tough on the end of words.  He's got the cutest lispse when he says words like grasth = grass. 
• He is full of spontaneous kisses, hugs and I love yous now.  We even get the occasional cuddle out of the kid.  Aside from being rocked at night, Grady has never wanted anything to do with cuddling, but that all seems to be changing just in time for him to have some cuddling competition!
• He has got some idea that there is a baby in my belly, but has no idea what he is in for.  He first thought the baby was in my chest (do boys really start that early?), but now he pats my chest and says "baby not up there". .  "baby down there"  said while patting my belly.
• For the week after his birthday, he'd regularly ask us "where'd birthday go?" I don't know buddy, I have no idea how it all went by so quickly!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Not quite the smash cake of last year, but he still enjoyed his cupcake.



Birthday morning balloons were a hit!

When I tried to get some pictures for Grady's birthday invite, I followed him around for about 40 minutes.  This 40 minutes perfectly captured what about an  hour in the life of our very busy little boy looks like. 

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