Months Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four

October 13, 2021

Titus,

Wow. So quickly you are two years old. You are developing so quickly into your own little boy with a unique personality. You’ve gotten so good at communicating now, exactly what it is that you want, and what you don’t want. The fact that you’re so very cute helps you out on the “don’t want” side. Just when Mommy and I are about done with you stealing bites of our dinner, lunch, snack, or otherwise, you bring out your smile and “thank you..much!”

The expansion in your vocabulary has been exponential this month, and you’re using it extensively. Stinky diaper. Mommy and Daddy were on the couch together. “Can Daddy change your diaper?” “No! Mommy do it!” Pulling on Mommy’s hand, “Come on! Diaper”. Got over to get the changing stuff, and then said “Daddy diaper?” Mommy’s really the best for all things, apparently including that. “Do you want Seth to change your diaper?” (Seth was trying out new things, and had changed a couple wet diapers with help). “No! Mommy change…diaper!”

If everyone is involved in your activity, you’re happy. If we’re doing something else that takes away from your time? We get the pull, push, or tug on the legs, along with “Play more! Play more!” You know what our smartphones look like, and you’re not hesitant to tell us to put them down to come and play or read.

We’re hearing your colors, numbers, and songs now all the time. Variably, you can count to 5, 10, and 20 with most of the right numbers in the right places. Sometimes it’s a count straight to ten. Sometimes it’s “What comes after 4?” “Blue.”You can identify pretty much all the colors in the rainbow (and what’s the big difference between blue and indigo, really?) All colors start as “orange”, and then you take a second and figure out which color it actually is. It’s fun to watch you excitedly describe the world to us using those colors. Noah’s learning to read, and you’ve got the concept of reading, if not the actual execution. You think his sight word cards are so much fun, and you’re copying spelling by mimicking the sounds.

New words and phrases come every day; more than we could possibly record or remember, but some of the best that come to mind include when you were stung by a wasp on the playground at a park. The next week we were back at the same park: “bug, bug! Ouch, ouch!” Also, we now get “why” all the time now, almost every time we ask you to do something. Most of the time, a simple explanation brings the response “oh, OK!” and off you go to comply.

Mommy scolded you for dropping food from the high chair (which is a regular occurrence, including the flipping of bowls of cereal and anything else. In fact, now you simply say ‘Molly! Molly!’ when food goes over the side to make sure that the dog knows she can come clean up. We’re at the point where she’s ignoring some food she doesn’t like.) Anyway, you got scolded for dropping food. You covered your face with your hands and said, “Sorry, Mommy”. A moment later, you popped open your hands and said “Peekaboo!”. It’s hard to discipline that cute face, especially when you’re event saying the cutest things.

Daddy has been traveling a lot for work, lately, so we’ve been on FaceTime frequently. Each conversation starts with “Hello Daddy!”, and ends with “See you!” You figured out pretty quick that the red button hangs up the phone, and you’re going for that when you’re done with the conversation. Even if Daddy asks to talk with Mommy again? Nope, red button. Daddy’s gone for a couple weeks, and you’re calling any random guy dad, too. At friends’ house across the street and time to go home? “Bye Dad!”

We got a new refrigerator in the kitchen recently. We thought through all the features that we thought we wanted and needed, considered the size and finish, and all the other details. Except…we did not consider that with a double freezer drawer on the bottom, you have the size and leverage to open either of those drawers. After once or twice seeing the popsicles and ice cream sandwiches come of of that bottom drawer, well. After the occasion you brought us a box of ice cream sandwiches, and the other occasion where you created sand paintings from a bag of coffee, we’ve had to reevaluate exactly what gets stored in those drawers.

You still love to sing, and your grasp of language means we hear you singing “1, 2, Buckle My Shoe”, “Baa Baa Black Sheep”, “Twinkle Twinkle”, and other songs, mostly under your breath. It’s very fun to sit quietly and hear you talking or singing to yourself.

You pop up in your crib in the morning, normally with a smile, and you’re off! You pretty much don’t stop moving. It took a cold to knock you down enough to fall asleep on your playroom floor. Otherwise, it’s running around, all the time. We also regularly find you being a frog, with a “Ribbit! Ribbit!” and hopping down the hallway. You also have a special skipping little run you do when you’re being naughty, you know it, and you’re escaping the scene.

Upgrades to the new backyard this month included a trampoline and a swingset! You love both, and can’t get enough of your own swing on the swingset. Your favorite is to be twisted up and let go, and we get regular requests to “Spin!” Getting ready brings your “3..2..1” countdown into kicking legs and squealing as the ropes unwind. You’ve also improved rapidly on the trampoline, from barely being able to stand, to hopping around (again with the “3..2..1”) doing seat drops. You can’t wait to jump with your brothers, and happily take turns bouncing with Daddy or Mommy. You run right out to stand against the net when it’s a brother’s turn to try something.

The move that really sums up everything is that look you give Mommy where you wrinkle your nose while smiling. Mostly when you’re being just a little naughty, or we’ve told you to stop doing something. You know you’re just too cute and too happy.

We love you so much, little two-year-old. We can’t wait to spend every day with you.

Love,

Daddy and Mommy