My Favorite Stage

Joshua is now well into the thick of my very favorite baby stage....walking-2 years old. It was my favorite with Audrey and I wondered if it would be again with JJ. It definitely is! I love the wobbly walk/run and how when he starts going really fast and gains too much momentum his body looks like its leaping forward ahead of his feet. I love how he mumbles and talks in this little quiet voice as though he's telling me something very important. I love that he still wants to be picked up so he can see what's up on this level and looks at everything with interested and curious eyes. I love how he squats down to play with toys or inspect something. I love how he tries so hard to keep up with Audrey but he's always straggling behind with me.

 Joshua is an incredibly happy baby most of the time. He is still a great sleeper (although he wakes early, ugh!) and takes two naps a day, plus an 11 hour stretch at night. He doesn't eat as well as Audrey did at that age, I assume because he sees how picky she is with food and he's following suit. Or maybe he just isn't a good eater. :) He certainly eats enough to keep up the fat rolls, though! He loves to wrestle and is always climbing on us and headbutting us. I feel bad for him because I can only get so rough right now (belly gets in the way) and of course Audrey hates to wrestle. "Noooo! Stop!! Get off me JJ NOOOO!!" I should probably take some responsibility because I'm always instigating him with "get her!" and that really gets him in to it. Haha. She has it coming after all the times she used to push and knock him over when he was littler!

First Time with Play-Doh

 

Getting himself a snack

 He got his first haircut about a month ago. He really needed it for a while and I couldn't put it off any longer. Of course I kept the hair as a memento. He was such a good boy the whole time! He didn't care one bit and wasn't scared of the clippers or scissors at all. He just stared straight ahead. This picture actually reminds me of a soldier getting his first Army haircut. So serious and stone-faced. I love his haircut now. It is so boyish and really turned him into a toddler.

And even though he is happy MOST of the time, boy when his mood changes, everybody knows. He is a moody little guy with a heck of a temper. He yells, pouts, hits, and throws seriously dramatic temper tantrums. Two days ago he threw a tantrum so epic that he actually got his head stuck under the sofa. I should have expected it though...I took away a lollipop right before dinner and he WAS NOT HAPPY.

He's still a thumbsucker and I still think it is the cutest thing ever. I love the way he holds his blankie and rubs it on his face. He loves his daddy so much and when dad walks in the door, JJ pauses to hear who it is (if he can't see him) and then RUNS as fast as he can to the front door when he hears Josh's voice. He dives into Josh's chest and gives the biggest hug. Is there any better greeting to come home to? He likes giving good open mouth kisses, but we taught him how to make a fish face this week so now he wants to kiss us like that. Its funny to see him suck those big old cheeks in to make the fish face!

We are absolutely loving these days with our baby boy...still a baby and needing his mama and daddy, but growing and learning so much every day and changing right before our eyes. I wish he could stay this age forever!