2 and 1/2 years old

Asher Joe, you are 2 and 1/2 years old on 11-11-11!!

I absolutely DO NOT know where the last two and half years of my life have gone, but I DO know that I’ve spent them with the BEST little boy in the world!

There is not one drop of baby left in you… you are so grown up!  You love cars and trucks and trains.  You love to make things crash.  You love to be loud.  You laugh when you fall down.  You love blocks, and you love knocking blocks down.  You like to throw balls, go down slides, splash in puddles, and jump in leaves.  You like to swing and play in the dirt.  You are ALL boy!!

Asher you are the world’s best big brother!  You are so sweet to Jesse.  You talk softly and give him gentle pats, hugs, and kisses.  You handled the transition of moving and gaining a sibling so well.  You make us very proud.  :)

Even though you are a big tough boy you will still snuggle with us and give the best hugs.  Sometimes after your nap when you are still a little sleepy you are extra snuggly and I can almost feel that little boy who I used to hold.  But it’s usually over in a flash as you bound down the stairs to play cars or run around outside.

 

Asher, I’m convinced you have the vocabulary of a ten year old.  You talk and talk and talk.  I love it!  We carry on real conversations and you are sooo good at remembering things that I often find myself amazed at the things you will bring up or the connections you make between places we’ve been, things we’ve read, cartoons you’ve seen, or people we know.  You know all your letters and their sounds, and have for quite a while.  You LOVE to point out letters while we are out places.  You know that TARGET starts and ends with a “T” – which might honestly be more of an indication of how often we are there!  ;)  You love the cartoon Busy Town and remind me often that it starts with a B!  You love letters and learning and it makes your teacher parents so happy!

You know your shapes and are finally getting the hang of your colors.  For being advanced in your language skills I have no idea why colors were such a sticking point for you.  I’ve probably spoken too soon, but I think you’ve got ‘em!  ;)

You love all your grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and cousins.  You talk about them all the time which makes us so happy to know how much you love your family – even if we don’t get to see each other too often.  You chatter about your cousins throughout the day just like they live down the street (and I sure wish they all did!)

Right now, you are doing a great job with nursery.  You had a few rough visits where you cried when we dropped you off, but  you seem to be back on track!  :)  You are also doing a wonderful job with sleeping.  Naps are a breeze and you go down for bed at night really well.  You LOVE your bed and always talk about how ‘nice and cozy’ it is.  :)  You know that you are supposed to wait in your bed for us to come get you in the morning and you usually wake up between 7 and 8 am.

A few of the things you LOVE right now:
*Cars – especially Mater and Lightening McQueen
*Playing with friends!  Camryn is your buddy and you love her, often remembering her when we pray!
*Trains!!  Thomas is still your favorite and you love watching Thomas cartoons on Saturday mornings.
*Singing songs and talking in the car – you point out things you see and we talk about everything under the sun while we drive.
*Horses – you especially love to look for them when we drive around.  I’m so glad there are LOTS of horse farms where we live.
*Stickers!  You love them.  :)
*Chocolate Milk, it’s still your motivator for staying in your bed and sleeping.

Asher, I could probably go on and on right now, but my words wouldn’t really capture YOU.  I am thankful that I’ve been with you each and every day these past two and a half years so I have a heart FULL of memories of the precious baby who turned into a goofy toddler and is quickly becoming a sweet and smart little boy right before my eyes.  Asher, we LOVE you!

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Buddy!!