Cooper Thomas: 2.5 Years

Well I'm not running for mother of the year anytime soon because I've been severely lacking on my blogging and that starts with skipping a 2 year update on Cooper!

Now where to begin! You are quite the silly boy and you make dad and I smile often with your cuteness! You are such a smart little boy and your speech keeps improving. You can now sing the ABCs and recite snippet of songs (I've even caught you singing to yourself). You surprised me the other week when you started counting and made it all the way to 10! Way to go buddy!! You have your own big-boy bed now, and some of your bedtime shenanigans include clearing your bookshelf into your bed and most recently turning the light on (I have a sneaky suspicion you hear your brother getting in trouble for certain things and you start them up). You still aren't great at knowing colors, and continue to think most are "green." You've taken to some new shows, Super Wings and PJ Masks which you (along with your brother) request to watch constantly! You got some Super Wings characters for Christmas and you know all their names and the show catch-phrases.

You still request milk often, but you sure don't love it like you used to. Eating is hit or miss at home, but you seem to eat well at daycare. Also at daycare you just started potty training! You get the idea of what you need to do, but not enough to take the diapers away yet. We just went to do the doctor for a check-up and you sure are a little thing (like your momma) coming in at 10% in height and 30% in weight for your age. You are in 2T shirts, anywhere form 18-24m to 2T pants and size 7 shoes.

You love your brother (for the most part) and are so excited to go to his room at daycare when I pick you up. You request to hold Carson's hand when walking places and you are very fond of Snyder too. You are our snuggly kid and are so sweet and tell us, I love you Mom, or I miss Dad and I miss Carson tonight (I let you sleep together one night). But I think your favorite phrase, that you've been saying for quite sometime, is "hold you" which is your declaration for someone to pick you up! You want so badly to do everything your brother does, but you also have your moments where we find you playing by yourself at the train table.

Since turning 2, you've taken an airplane ride to Texas and California which is also where you saw the ocean for the first time! Since then you request, almost daily, to go on vacation on an airplane to the ocean :) The other thing you talk frequently about whenever I ask if you want to go to a store is Santa! You were not excited to see him, but you talk quite fondly of him and always say you'd sit on his lap. Maybe next year!

You are such a sweet boy and our family would not be complete without you. We love you Coop, Coopie, Coop-a-doop, Cooper monster!

Cooper Thomas: 23 Months

How can you be 2 in one month? And while I say that it always seems like you are so much older than 2 but look like you are 15/16 months old. That's probably why you get so many looks while you are riding your bicycle. We've been trying to do more evening walks to get you more comfortable (and to work on your listening/obedience skills) and it is helping. You have a bad tendency to just wander out in to the middle of the road (our neighborhood does not have sidewalks) but you listen for a brief moment and ride closer to the side only to look at something else and veer back. Recently you've picked up the word "why" and now like to say that all the time. Cooper, please come back to the side of the road. "Why." Cooper please don't climb up the slide. "Why." And so it begins...

I continued to be amazed with your speech. I don't know if it's because Carson was so delayed but I can't believe all that you say. I'm pretty sure there's nothing you won't say, because you pick up a lot. Lately you've started saying things like "Ooo that pretty shirt;" "Mom, hear dog bark;" "Mom where going?" or when we were trying to find your moose for bed, "I find it." You were also looking at a book the other day flipping through it saying "Where kee-cat," and when you found him "See kee-cat riding bike." You love listening to music and always request "Monah music." You're favorite song is You're Welcome which you sing "say welcome" and We Know The Way and you sing "way way." You even know the song at the end of the move and whenever it plays on the CD you exclaim "o'er." I can finally get you to sit through a TV show or movie which is helpful when I need to get something done. Moana is the only movie you'll sit through and Thomas is the only show you sit the longest. Thomas is your favorite and you recently got a book and you read "Thomas and friends." You also know "Mick mouse" or "Min mouse." The last show you request at times is Dinosaur Train. So I think it's safe to say you love trains and dinosaurs right now.

You still love your milk (and only out of a certain cup) and don't eat veggies. You are in 12-18 month pants, 2T shirts and 5-6 shoes. You think every color is "geen" and you are very good at identifying animals. We were walking around a store the other day and you kept saying, "I see pig;" "I see bird;" "I see cow." You do not like to wear shoes and you love being in the water. You are pretty good at swimming with your floats and your favorite is jumping in to the pool. You are so easy to put to bed and most nights you try to climb in to your crib! Sleeping through the night is another story. You stir most nights but we never have to get up with you for extended periods of time. This past month your falls got the best of you and you had to get 4 stitches :( You also started swim lessons which are kind of a bust. You are a fun little boy and you recently told me "Carson" is your best friend. We love you and our family would not be complete without you Coopie!!