We officially have a two year old running around, and yes, he is attempting to act like a two year old, and we are attempting to keep it at bay.

Jeremiah had a great birthday!! We had a party at the park on Saturday (his actual birthday). His friend Isaac was there so everything else was added fun. They found the hidden treasure at least 4 times. We played “Pin the Banana on George” and he still is spinning around and putting the banana on. I attempted to make a slide cake and Curious George sat on top. He fell forward while we were eating, so he enjoyed the cake too. I didn’t think Jeremiah was going to blow out the candles (or that they would even light with the slight wind) but he did.

Jeremiah LOVED opening presents. He was especially thrilled when there was money in a card. He would yell “MONEY!”. I let him pick out some toys with some of it and he handed the money to the cashier. Now every time we go through a line he thinks he needs to hand them money. He is becoming such a big boy.

Not much slips past him. He even looked at the Sit and Spin, like “wasn’t this the thing in the garage you wouldn’t let me touch?” He got ABC blocks from Grandma & Grandpa Merrill and gets quite upset if we knock his tower down or even if we knock ours down. Everything must be as Jeremiah sees it. Oh the fun!!

Now backing up, November flew past. We also had a good Thanksgiving. We stayed home almost all weekend and just relaxed. It was wonderful. Jeremiah helped make Chex Mix and dip on Thanksgiving morning and helped clean the veggies and himself. Of course then he wanted to help with the dinner too. So he “helped” mash the potatoes. The Saturday after Thankgiving we made Christmas Cookies. Jeremiah loved helping with those. He helped make the dough and cut them out. But we planned the icing phase while he was down for a nap. That will wait for a few more years. He really enjoyed the eating stage!

We had his 2 year appointment the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We knew he was a big boy, but he is a BIG boy. He is off the chart weight wise (36lbs. 10oz.) and in the 90th percentile in height (36 in.). However since we have stopped giving him whole milk and cutting down the amount to what he is supposed to get I think he has lost a little weight – he might be closer to the 95th percentile in weight! My grandma looked up my dad’s measurements and he weighed almost the same and was the same height at 2 – pretty funny.

Everyone we see in the stores (at least those who talk to us) ask how old he is and are surprised at how big he is for his age, but his verbal skills are pretty advanced too (He talks all the time is what that means). So that makes him seem older. The nurse who saw him was shocked at how much he talked. I am really glad he talks, because as long as I have context clues I can figure out what he is saying. This last week he has started to ask questions by raising his pitch at the end of a sentence. It is hilarious!!! His voice get soooo high. Every morning he ask – Apricot Daddy? Apricot Mommy? Apricot Jermiah? (He gets a dried apricot while we get breakfast ready). He is speaking in 3rd person more and more. Everything this “Meremiah” this and “Meremiah” that.

He still LOVES music and seems to remember more things when music is involved. He has started to sing songs more and more now. Usually it is only one line over and over, but there are a few he knows all the words to. Three weeks ago we came home from church and I saw the paper was about Zaccheus. I sang the song to him and he looked at me like how did you know that? Next thing I know he is yelling “Get down from there” Now if you ask him what Jesus said to Zaccheus he will tell you “Get down from there”. Then he says “church”. Usually that is followed by “donut holes”, because that is what we do on Sunday.

He also can “spell” the words cat, dog and sometimes pie on his Word Whammer. He will guess at the letters and put them in the machine. He can narrow it down by color (and he usually puts the letters back right around the Word Whammer) and then asked us “this one?” (imagine the high pitched “one”). Then he looks at us to make sure he is pushing the buttons in the right order. It then says the word and makes the animal sound. The whole “pie” story is too long to write, but I will tell it to you sometime.

Jeremiah also loves routine. (I wouldn’t know who he gets that from?) You can tell when he is getting tired because he starts saying “no night, night”.. We “played” Rock Band today after his nap and when we were done he kept saying “no night, night”, because usually Andy and him play right before nap. It is amazing how much kids pick-up on. However every once in a while the norm goes out the window. The other day Andy told Jeremiah after snack they would go get the mail and he could ride his four-wheeler (His early birthday present from Grandma & Grandpa Caughell was a battery powered 4 wheeler, just like their extra one). He stopped right away and says “all done” and headed for his shoes. Not often does something else win out over food!

We are trying to really talk up snow, as we leave in a week for Indiana! Jeremiah is soooo excited about snowmen. I think he thinks snowmen are at every house. (So if we are coming to yours, you may want to have one ready.) We have also tried to get him excited about Christmas, but in his mind it is still his birthday. We keep saying “Jesus birthday is next”, but he is not buying it. Maybe as it gets closer he will cave. He is pretty stubborn (gee I wonder where he gets that from too?) We will see if he likes snow this year – he hated it the last two.

So Jeremiah is starting to push all the two year old buttons, but he is soooo funny and so much fun to be with. He often makes Andy and I laugh. We look forward to a wonderful year with a two year old!

Merry Christmas,
Nichole

So many good pictures this month. Check the blog! Sorry for all of you in cold snowy weather, but I couldn’t help but include the picture at the beach today. Jeremiah fell on his bottom as a wave came up. Here is the aftermath. He loved the cold water! Crazy kid.