Journey to the Knot

My sweet Knox,
Your birthday has come and gone, and you are officially TWO. I keep looking at you since your birthday, thinking how are you two already? You are definitely a big boy with big thoughts, big actions, big feelings, and a big body! You are growing so fast -getting taller and becoming quite the long boy! In fact just yesterday, we had your well-check with Dr. B, and you are in the 80th percentile for height. This doesn't surprise me, as you've always measured longer than average even in utero. I want to tell you so many things about you at this age that will fast-pass into distant memory long before we want it to. I keep wanting to freeze time and capture each sweet smell, touch, giggle, word, look. . . but it will fade from memory if I don't capture it now, and that's the whole point of this post, as you know by now.

So what are you up to now? I could go on and on here, but not much has changed since the 23-Month Newsletter, so I'll just hit the highlights:

-You have quite the vocabulary. It's always the first place I start recently because your list of words just grows and grows, as it should, at this point. The most notable things you say include: "Boys! Boys! Stop!" you yell so loudly whenever you are annoyed by your big brothers. "No! Mine!" isn't far behind. As is, "I WANT THAT." But, you also say wonderful things like, "More milk, please, Mommy. Thank you." (Sounds more like, "Mo milt peez, Mommy. Tane too.")

-You just love to run and hop and - skip even. You still adore My Gym and all the places we go to get that energy out.

-You know all your colors! You can count 1-10. You catch on to song lyrics very well. In fact, my favorite is when you sing lullabies with me. Our favorites are "Hush Little Baby," "Lullaby," "Twinkle, Twinkle," and of course, "Yah Yah" ("I'm Still Standing").

-You go pee on the potty. Still no poop, and I'm still not ready to potty train yet, but you are definitely proud of yourself when you go potty - usually right before bath or when you wake up.

-We're still not hearing those /x/ and /k/ sounds. So, you are still "Knot" or "Knos," and milk is still "milt," and dog is still "dot."

-You space out from time to time. This has become my only big worry for you right now. We mentioned it to Dr. B at your well-check, and he was also concerned. You are not "reachable" during these 20-40 second lapses. You don't respond to your name or to a touch or to me tapping food on your lips with a fork. I'm worried you're having petit mal seizures. They seem harmless, but what mom would be okay with her baby having seizures - great or small. We are watching you closely, and trying to document when they happen and for how long, and even trying to catch them on video. We've been told you would probably outgrow them, but still. . . not sure what's going on with this.

-You are shy at first and then warm up. You love to burrow your head into my neck or curl around my leg in a new place. And if you ever feel upset, you will "bottom lip it" and pout.

STATS:
-Weight: 28 pounds, 7 ounces = 70th percentile
-Height: 35.5 inches = 80th percentile
-Head: 48.5 cm = 55th percentile
-Developmental level - around 2 years, 5 months
-Size 5 diapers, 6 overnight
-2T clothes, size 8 shoe

Now, let's get on to the really fun stuff: CELEBRATING YOU! After one final one-year-old sleep, we woke you as a two-year-old when Daddy, Banner, Quinn, and I quietly walked into your room lightly singing "Happy Birthday to You." You were all smiles as balloons filled your crib and you bonked them out to us. Then, it was time for kolaches and donuts Daddy had run out to get early, early in the morning! We sang again, and this time you got to blow out your candle - with a "ffff" blow. Then, we headed up to school to celebrate your birthday with your class. You got to decorate your cake, and Quinn got to come join your class - and he loved being a part of that, back in his first classroom surrounded by your friends and with his arm around you the whole time! After your nap, you had a special visit from BeeBee who brought you a gift and a dozen small bundt cakes to enjoy - and to sing "Happy Birthday" for the fourth time! :) Later in the evening, we had an impromptu meeting with friends at Chuck E. Cheese. Amanda and the boys and Aunt Mischelle and the kids joined us to play games and eat pizza with you. The following day was...

PARTY TIME! I knew your theme for your second birthday party months and months ago: fish. In fact, I really wanted to have it at the aquarium, but we had too many people on our guest list to make that work. You just have always loved anything with fish - fish sticks, Goldfish, your fish projector, pointing out fish on any little thing! Nearly every night, for several months of the last year, you liked for me to sing the "Feeesh" song: "Boop, boop, dittum, dattum, wattam, choo!" (I love how much you love this song - a song that has been sung for generations over in our family.) It's one reason we got you a fish for Hanukkah, and we had to name him FEESH so you could say it! Luckily, a fish theme is one easy party to throw! We had Swedish Fish, Goldfish, S'mores Goldfish, and blue jello "water" alongside a cheese goldfish surrounded by yummy grapes. The party favors were also easy: Bubbles, Goldfish snacks, more Swedish Fish, and a Fortune Fish. Finally, the venue was so much fun. We went to Play Date Co. for some fun with your cousins and a few classmates. It was nice to have the place to ourselves and for you to play with someone you knew at every turn!

I ended the day printing off your "I Believe," and reminiscing about the last year. I'm nostalgic for your babyhood and saddened by how fast these two years have sped by. I read off my memories to Daddy as we reflected on a year of such amazing growth that pleases us and reminds us of how very blessed we are to have such a happy, healthy boy. From our trip to San Antonio to our visits to the Little Elm beach, from our stay at Great Wolf to the GFC Family Retreat, from your shaky start to school to your ability for Daddy to just be able to drop you off in carpool, we have had such a fun year with you. You've continued to add so much to our family. Both of your brothers absolutely adore you, much to your irritation sometimes, as they kiss and hug you all over even when you clearly wish they'd leave you alone!

Knox Morgan, I wish you such a happy birthday! Thank you for being so happy-go-lucky, so fun, so easygoing, so full of joy and love. May this year be filled with more memories of love, laughter, joy, fun, learning, and health!

Love,
Mommy