The Powells: Jack is 2!

Happy Birthday to the sweetest little guy I know. Seriously, this little boy is such a fun-loving, easy-going dude. He loves trucks, school buses, trains, cars, construction equipment, singing songs, hanging out with his peeps, running, jumping, climbing, going on walks, and being silly with his sister. We are so blessed to have him in our family.

Stats: At his 2 year appointment (May 13), he weighed 26.2 lbs (25%) and measured 35-36 inches (75-90%). When we measured him at home, we got 36. When they tried to get him to stand against the wall at the doctor's office, they got 35. He wears 2T shirts and can wear all of his shorts from last summer (12-18 and 18-24 months). He wears size 3T pjs and still wears a size 7 shoe. He is currently getting his 2 year molars.

Sleep: Jack is still sleeping very well. He goes to bed around 7:30 and wakes up happily between 7 and 7:15. He loves to go to sleep with a blanket. He takes a nap for 2-3 hours that usually starts around 12:45. His favorite books to read at nap time and bed time involve some sort of vehicle.

Eating: Jack has gotten much less picky when it comes to food. All the months when I kept giving him good food (and not an entire plate of something he was sure to eat), regardless of whether he chose to eat it all or not, have really paid off. He likes most meat and fruit and is getting much better with vegetables. It's pretty much guaranteed that he will try anything. Breakfast favorites include yogurt, cereal, fruit, bagels, eggs, and bacon. Lunch favorites include sandwiches (turkey or ham with cheese and mustard, peanut or almond butter), or some a la carte version of that with crackers. Other favorites include guacamole, salsa, steak, chicken, the melted cheese entrees (macaroni, grilled cheese, quesadillas), beans, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, soup, and even the casserole-type dishes (lasagna, enchiladas, etc). Favorite snacks include raisins, smoothies, applesauce, and anything his sister "fixes" for the afternoon snack. He is also starting to like some nuts, especially pecans.

Learning: Jack's vocabulary and ease of use with the English language continue to impress us. By his 2nd birthday, he totally got the mine/yours/his/hers/he/she/him/her/me/you words all straightened out and he is generally very easy to understand. At his 2 year appointment, we actually spent about 2.5 hours in the exam room because Jack went in with a bad cough and was diagnosed with pneumonia. The doctor told was very impressed with his language and told me that he spoke as well as an average 3 year old. His pronunciation is very good, even with the long words. He is definitely in the "I do it by MYSELF!" phase, which makes everything take longer but does improve his fine motor skills. He especially likes to fasten his own buckles. Sadly, I lost a bunch of cute quotes that were on my phone but here's one from around his 2nd birthday:
Over the monitor: "Mama, oh mama, where are you? Come talk to me. I'm hiding in my crib. Come find me!"

And another one from May:

Jack, Elise, and Mike had gone to the grocery store and came home with some beautiful red roses. Elise and I were talking about how pretty they were and Jack pipes up from behind us, "Mom, I wanted to get you the blue ones!" (And Mike said that he was indeed pushing for the dyed blue flowers at the store, haha.)

Playing: If you give Jack a room with trucks, trains, cars, construction vehicles, or Duplos, he's happy and content for a LONG time. He loves to push his vehicles around the room, make trains, race cars, build things, sing songs about it, and then do it all again. He spends a lot of time running, jumping, and climbing as well, and his running has gotten much more coordinated over the last few months. If he isn't playing with his toys, he's probably asking to jump on the trampoline. This little dude can get some serious air.

What a precious little guy! We love you, Jack!

A backhoe loader and school bus AT THE SAME TIME!