My baby is TWO YEARS OLD!

I can't even believe it.  We had K's birthday party the other day (and we even all survived) and it felt incredibly surreal the whole time.  Last night when I was making cupcakes for his class, it felt surreal.  It's hard to wrap my brain around it.  It just seems so fast.  I know that it has been a little over 8 months since he came home, but it has gone so quickly.  The three months until we got to go get him took forever.  These 8 months have sped by.

I have so much to write about him.  He is the most special little boy.  In some ways he is a very typical two-year-old, complete with tantrums and attitude.  Most everything is "MINE!" even though he doesn't say 'mine' yet.  I could swear that I heard a toddler-ese "I do it!" this morning, which frightens me even though I knew it was coming.  There's plenty "I-want-it-give-me-that-it's-the-best-thing-in-the-world-nowNowNOW-I-don't-want-that-are-you-kidding-me-quit-torturing-me-by-giving-that-to-me!"  (This morning we went through it with a banana.)

But there is so much more to him than that.  He's so affectionate and cuddly--J and I often wonder how we ended up with the cuddliest kids in the world.  He blows kisses every time he says "Bye bye" and charms simply everyone with his beautiful smile and long, curly eyelashes.

He loves to play, though he's still in the parallel-play stage and it's hard to play with him because he hasn't quite figured it out yet.  He loves puzzles and has gotten quite good at them.  Trucks and cars and trains are still his very favorite toys, and he LOVES the ball pit that my parents got him for his birthday.

K is walking and dancing but not yet running or jumping.  He's also starting to talk but is still quite delayed.  We've had 6 months of speech and physical therapy and are continuing them on the recommendations of both of his therapists.  Regardless, he's such an energetic kid!  He loves to be on the go and has come to regard both his carseat and booster chair at the table as torture devices akin to the iron maiden.  The booster is a little better because at least there's food associated with that one--but he usually takes the food in one hand and tries to get out of his chair! 

He's really funny.  This morning, he was dancing around with tiny steps and chanting "Nana!  Nana!  Nana!" while I peeled a banana for him.  (This was, of course, prior to the "bananas are the enemy" part of the show.)  Last night he would come into the kitchen, look at me until I looked back, and then raced away with giggles spilling over as I chased him around the house.  When he was tired of that, he stopped until I caught up, gave him hugs and kisses, and went back to what I was doing.  Then he would come back in and start it over again.

There is so much more to write that I hardly know where to start.  He loves to hear stories and to "read" on his own, and his attention span has increased quite a bit.  It's funny that the thing that makes him most content and allows him to fall asleep most easily is when he brings his Elmo book into bed and looks at it for a few minutes.  (Sometimes Goodnight Moon.)  He wants to hear stories and heaven forbid that I forget to sing him a song, but he still wants a book in his crib.

In adoption, there's often talk about preserving the birth order of the adoptive family but there's almost never talk about preserving the birth order of the adopted child.  Both P and K are oldest children in their biological families, and P continues to be the oldest child in our family.  K, although a younger child in our family, displays a LOT of characteristics that are often attributed to oldest children.  According to this site, first-born children are energetic, logical, ambitious, enterprising, and scholarly--and (except for enterprising, which I suppose we'll have to find out in the future), that's both P and K.  Middle children, which is what K will ultimately be, are supposed to be flexible, diplomatic, rebellious, attention seeking, competitive, and peacemakers.  I would certainly not characterize K as flexible or diplomatic or a peacemaker.  He is attention-seeking and competitive, as younger children must be.  It's really interesting to see how both of my children display the same traits.

I could go on about him for hours.  Seriously.  He is so precious.  And now he's two.

Happy birthday, my baby.

(Picture popped!)

Comments

[DD]

He's perfect and that's all that matters.

Both of your boys are. Of course there are times that we have to remind ourselves of that when we feel like having a third glass of wine, but you know...

[lucky#2]

Happy Birthday, K!!! He sounds like he is thriving. Oh, and that picture is ADORABLE!!!

[JessPond]

OH.MY.GOSH.CUTE.

Happy Birthday to K!!

I think it's interesting to see how much biology has to do with things and how much environment has to do with things. We see a lot of that type of deal with knowing Ava's bio family and it's neat. It's intriguing to hear you talk of birth order and those characteristics!

Glad you survived the party!

[JJ]

Happy Birthday, K!!

[My Reality]

Happy Birthday, K!

[Jenn]

He's adorable... so sweet. :) Happy Birthday K!

[Krista]

And cuteness it is. Happy Birthday K. And congratulations Erin, on raising two amazing sons.

[k77]

Beyond cute! Happy birthday :)

[docgrumbles]

Happy Birthday, K!

[Christy]

Happy Birthday, sweet boy! Hate that we missed your party, especially with your very own ball pit! Awesome!

[Rebel]

Sorry I am so flipping late!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY K!!!!

I hope it was a great one sweetie!!!

Hugs from the NC