Happy 2nd Birthday Andrew!

April 10, 2011 marked our little man’s 2nd birthday and I cannot believe I am even typing that. I am still amazed at how much of a big boy he is, how smart he is, how cute it and what a sweetheart he is. He does something so cute and something so bratty on a daily basis…such is the life of a 2-year-old :-)

His big milestone this month has been sleeping in his big boy bed which is his crib converted into a toddler bed. I added the Cars mesh railing because the “railing” that came with the crib just wasn’t gonna cut it! He had only a few rough days adjusting to napping in there without getting up. Day one nap: he got up 50 times, yes FIFTY times, but since then it whittled down to just 5-10 times and now only once or twice! Bedtime has actually been easy. He doesn’t even get up so we are very thankful for that. I have more stamina at nap time obviously! The funny thing is that it’s not like he was upset about this new bed. It was just the new freedom he was having fun with as I could tell with his little smirk every single time he got up and opened his door coming to look for me and my reaction. Oh and also funny, naptime at Tracy’s house (babysitter), day one, he gets up once and she tells him to go back in his bed and he does it and stays there. Booger!

The 2nd birthday party was fairly small with the close friends and the kiddos he loves most. Asher, Cole, Makenzie, Tanner, Kyle and Carter were all there to celebrate with him and he had tons of fun! We went to the park and decorated for everything Mickey and he really enjoyed his cookie cake from Paradise Bakery and especially enjoyed presents. “More presents?!” He thought it was GREAT! More Photos HERE.
And here's a cute video of the Happy Birthday singing with him blowing out his candles.

Two is so fun and I really cannot believe how much he’s learned over the last few months. He is getting to be quite the talker and is starting to have his little funny phrases we love…

• For me?!?
• Chai, git down! (yelling at the cat)
• Minnie bite? (always sharing his snack with the dog and cats!)
• Sit Daddy or Sit Mommy (wanting us to watch a show with him)
• Singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat but it sounds like this: Row, Row Boat…Streeeeammm….merry, merry, merry….dreeeeeammm! He likes to sing it like he’s on super fast mode!
• He likes to count to 3 and will count to 10 with help!
• He is starting to sing the ABCs with one of his musical toys.
• Recently he walked in the kitchen where I was and cocked his head to the side and put his hands up to his face and said “please” It was so freakin cute and made me laugh. I don’t even know what he was wanting!

There is so much more so I need to start jotting these gems down. The 2-year checkup was Monday and he is 75th percentile all around. Above average and proportioned well :-) He got one shot and a finger prick check for iron. Just a cringe, but no crying. We’re all set until age THREE! Whoa.

Now we're getting excited for Easter and our trip to Illinois in about 3 more weeks. Woohoo!

March Madness

It seems I’m still on a monthly blog update schedule … Too much happens in a month, so I need to update more! I will have SOME extra time soon because I decided to change jobs—I quit my job at Gold Canyon and I will officially be a SAHM as of May 13!

I am very excited, but I am going to miss my friends at GC and my job very much. However, I decided after a long while of thinking it over that this was the best thing to do right now and something I definitely wanted to do. When you have this opportunity, it’s hard to pass it up.

At GC I was just part time and so thankful for the schedule they allowed me, but there is just too much work for a PT person and it was getting very stressful. A big factor in this decision also was that Andrew’s in-home daycare provider is moving farther away so driving to her house would be pretty far out of my way. Her last day is May 27, so that’s why I decided May would be my last month working. He LOVES Tracy and going to play with all the kids, so I know we will have to visit often :-). Luckily Tracy is moving out by my other friend Rachel (with the twin boys Andrew’s age), so we’ll definitely be in the area pretty often.

Everything kind of fell into place at the same time and I’m so happy to be staying home with Andrew and maybe working on some projects of my own at home, etc. Not that I’ll have much time ;-)

OK, now that that big news is out in the open, I’ll have to summarize (not really, it's LONG) the rest of our busy March!

• March 2 – my 33rd birthday! It turned into a birthday week with fun times at the park that day with Andrew, then work, then dinner with Jeff at Carrabas and the first movie we’ve seen in FOREVER while Tracy babysat. Yay!
• March 4 – the birthday celebration continued with the girls at Texas Roadhouse, but we had Andrew and Makenzie with us—they were amazingly good at the restaurant and Andrew thought Rachel’s gift was for him. “For meeee?!” It was hilarious.
• The next week was just as busy with me officially giving my notice at work and then that same day the Libert fam came into town for Cubs Spring Training on March 10. We had lot of fun with Miles and Andrew loved entertaining him. They did OK for a while at the game, but we had to exit for a grassy knoll and leave the game altogether before 7th inning stretch—nap time!
• March 16 - our 9th anniversary! We actually got a babysitter and went out for the first time in a LONG time! Had dinner at Toby Keith's and just hung out and relaxed. We are planning for a return to the honeymoon spot on St. John in the Virgin Islands for #10...can't wait...I hope we are able to do it!
• March 26 – time for our family photos in honor of Andrew’s 2nd birthday! I am in denial that this snuck up on us so fast! Here’s a link to them ALL!
• Andrew was back at swim lessons every Tuesday and Thursday in March and we’re continuing through April. Then a break in May so we can head to IL to visit Aunt Beth and the Grandmas! Andrew and I will head out May 14 on our own, Jeff will come out about May 25 and then we’ll all go back together May 30. Time for another summer in Arizona. Whew!

Now it’s April 3 and one week from today our baby will be TWO! We’re partying at a local park surrounded by orange trees with a special Mickey Mouse party and a mini Easter egg hunt. I can’t wait, but now we’re down to the wire—I gotta finish shopping!