Oh how quickly the time is flying by with my first baby boy! I simply refuse to believe we are halfway to 3 already. I am savoring the days he is home with me (the days he behaves at least :) ) full time as in the fall he starts preschool and will be gone from me a whole 6 hours a week.
There have been some huge changes in this guys life the past 6 months and he has handled them like a champ. Moving houses didn't phase him in the least; maybe it was the big backyard or seeing an entire room devoted to his toys that helped, but he didn't bat an eyelid with the process. Obviously the biggest change has been adding his little brother Asher into the mix, and again he has surprised me with the smoothless transition. It took Chase a little while to hold Asher but it was never a jealousy thing, more of a, he didn't want to hurt Asher way. Now though, he doesn't think twice about hugging his brother and Chase is always in Asher's face trying to make him laugh. The bond between these two is already so strong and I am so excited to see it continue to grow. Chase is an amazing big brother; from attempting to feed Asher to showing him how to use toys, he is always by his side. As we put the boys to bed every night Chase always asks for Asher to lie in his bed and sleep there, can we say heart melting? James schedule has become somewhat hectic since the fall, including being away for a week at a time. This has probably been the hardest change on Chase, as Daddy is his buddy. He misses him so much when James is away and tends to act out a little, but we get through it and keep ourselves busy so that before we know it Daddy is walking in the door.
Stats: Chase seems as though he is on the smaller side but still growing. at his 30 month checkup he weighed 27lbs (17th percentile) and is 35 &1/4 inches long (32nd percentile). Chase was extremely happy and surprised to hear he doesn't have to have any more shots until he is 4 years old! Doctor was very happy with him, especially his speech.
Sleep: Big changes in this area! It was around November time, so Chase was 26 months, when he suddenly decided one day he didn't need to nap anymore. No joke, one day he took a 3 hour nap, and the next he was completely done. So strange that there wasn't a transition period. Bedtime used to be around 8/8:30pm but with not taking a nap Chase is in bed by 7pm. He is fast asleep before we even close his bedroom door. He will usually sleep until 7/7:30am. Once he is awake he will lie in his crib until we go and get him. We are changing his crib into a toddler bed over the next few weeks as we are working on potty training. My hope is that he will come and get me as soon as he wakes up. We will see.
Social: These days we are out of the house more than at home and Chase wouldn't have it any other way. He enjoys being home and playing with his toys but takes after his Mummy in that he loves to be out and about and doing something. The beginning of 2015 we joined a Mommy and Me class at one of the local daycares. It is one morning a week and has some what of a preschool structure but I get to stay in the class with him. With plans for him to attend preschool in the fall I thought it would be good practice for him, and with moving to a new area my hope was for him to make friends in our town. He loves going to class and participates really well. I am super excited for him to attend preschool in the fall, he is really going to do so well.
Of course we still get together with our little group constantly. We average 2 to 3 playdates a week. Whether it be at someones house or the mall playground Chase and his friends have a blast together. It is so special to have seen them all grow together over the past year. I really do hope they remain friends for a long time to come.
Diet: Even though you can count Chase's ribs and vertebrae, he can eat!!!! Every time I turn around he is asking for something else to eat. I am going to have to start working in the evenings just to be able to afford the amount of food he requires ;) Thank goodness he still loves his fruit and veggies. It is what he will always ask for and is always what he eats off of his plate first. However, we have entered into the world of candy, especially lollipops or fruitpops as he likes to call them. Trick or treating opened his eyes to all things sugar. He probably gets a sugary treat a few times a week but I am ok with that seeing he eats everything we give him, and lets be honest the boy could probably use a few extra pounds on him.
Skills/Milestones: When I do the updates this is the area that I always see the biggest changes in Chase and makes me realize how quickly he is growing up. Overall Chase is a very laid back kid, he usually is happy with whatever we are doing and his temperament is about the same. Lately he has turned into this hyper crazy kid who goes full speed all day, singing, dancing and acting a fool basically. It's pretty hysterical to see especially given how he usually acts. We of course have been experiencing the good old 2 year tantrums and boy are they fun. I remember one weekend specifically where he ended up in time out a handful of times and even had to go to his crib twice. Thankfully days like that are few and far between.
Chase is still mastering jumping, it looks more like an old man hobbling down the street but that's ok and he will eventually get it. We have been taking swim class and he is doing well. We still go in the water with him and I'm hoping we can get to the point in which he is comfortable wearing swimmies and doing a basic paddle before pool season hits.
His speech continues to amaze me. We have been able to hold full on conversations with him since he has turned 2. Now he is at the stage where he makes up stories, not ones as in lies, but as in to entertain us. He creates stories between his trains and his cars and is very entertaining to listen to. I love seeing his little brain work. Sometimes I forget he is only 2 with how well he speaks. He knows some of the alphabet but in all honesty with a newborn around I haven't been pushing it too much, the same goes for numbers.
We have entered the world of potty training. He really seemed like he was ready but after a few days of trying to go on the potty has completely resisted. Over the next week or so we will pick it up and try again. To go to preschool in the fall he has to be trained so I'm really hoping it clicks with him soon. Chase has started being able to undress himself, the only issue he has is getting his shirt off. He is able to brush his teeth but I go over them again for good measure...no cavities here :)
Favorites: Thomas and Friends, Paw Patrol, Disney Cars, playing with Cisco, going to Barnes & Noble (the library as he calls it), playing with play-doh, painting, stickers, helping me cook, running around naked, playing in the bath, playing outside with lawn mower, visiting the pet store to see all of the animals, going to Chik-Fil-A, cookies, all the fruit.
I am so proud of this little boy we call our son. He amazes me every day, the way he views the world with such excitement. I'm so lucky that I get to spend every day with him.
