2 1/2 Years Old

• Height: 36 3/4" (he's grown 2 inches since his 2 year check up)
• Weight: 29.5 lbs (gained 4 pounds since his 2 year check up)
• Wearing: 2T & 3T. Almost all his 2T pants are too short. It seems like he's really shot up since his two year check-up but all 3T pants have to be adjustable because he's still a string bean! Most of his 2T shirts still fit but we're buying 3T in any new stuff.
• Grant's got a favorite movie now! It's been weeks since we've watched Monster Jam because Grant can't get enough of the Cars movies. He's always telling us "I need to watch Cars" or "I need to see Mater on the TV". 
• Potty training...is actually going pretty well at home. We're still not pushing it too awfully hard (not like potty training boot camp or anything) but he is wearing pull-ups instead of diapers and he's getting much better at telling us when he's got to go. He's not good at telling the day care teachers and he doesn't want to go yet when we're out and about...but I know we'll get there. I'm really happy with how it's going. It's certainly not easy but its getting better. As soon as we have time, we're going to take a weekend and do the "no pants weekend" and I'm thinking that should help things.

• Still doing well in the big boy bed! He has his nights where he doesn't want to lay down but so far *knock on wood* he stays put even when he doesn't go right to sleep.
• Grant loves to sing the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Also loves to hear all the jingles my mom used to sing but that's a post for another day.
• Doing really well with colors. The only two he won't really name are black and red.
• Also doing really well with counting. A few months ago he would just yell out numbers - sometimes in order, sometimes not. But now he's slowing down and actually pointing and counting things out and he can tell you "how many" when you ask as long as it's small numbers. I think the Poke-A-Dot book we got him for Easter last year helps.

 

• LOVES hockey! When we took Grant to his first (and only) game, Husband bought him a little hockey stick & puck set and he can't stop playing with it. Phrases that Grant has been known to yell while playing hockey: "I'm a hockey man!", "Lets go Hurricanes!", "I'm Jordan Staal! You not Jordan Staal! I'm Jordan Staal!", "I'm Cam Ward! You not Cam Ward! I"m Cam Ward!", "Put the puck in the net...I scored! YAAAAA!"
• Working on learning to spell his name. He'll tell you his name is Grant but if you ask him to spell it he's a little shy about it. And he usually misses the N. He'll tell you it's G-R-A-T but if we slow him down and say it with him he knows where the N goes.
• Energy to spare! Sometimes after dinner when we're in the living room he'll just look at me, say "I gonna run, ok?" and then take off through the house.
• Talking, talking, talking...all the time! He seems to be saying more every day. Bigger words and bigger sentences...it's crazy. He's not just repeating anymore, he's saying all the stuff that pops into his little head and we're having actual conversations. It's so fun! (And funny!)

I told him to pose. He did what you see 
above and yelled "Muscles!"

"I see you!"

Big Boy Bed: Take Two!

Back in early September we made a premature leap to the big boy bed. It actually went well for about 2-3 weeks. But one night Grant just wouldn't stay in bed. At all. He kept getting up over and over and telling us he wanted to go play.

No sir.

So around 2 a.m. this Mama had had enough and returned the big boy bed to it's previous crib state. I had some guilt over it. Grant was super proud of his big boy bed and I felt like I took something away from him. But it stayed that way for a while.

The day after Thanksgiving (I avoid Black Friday like the plague), Grant and I were hanging out at home, so I asked him if he wanted his big boy bed back. He said "Uh...yeah." So I decided to convert the crib again to give it a try for nap time. And it was fine so when Husband got home from work we decided to keep it that way for night time - both of us anticipating disaster. But it was fine. And it has remained fine...going on two months now. So we're thinking it's permanent this time.

He generally sleeps with no less than 5 stuffed animals.

So...so far so good. We're more prepared to be patient this time. Partly because we're potty training and he needs to be able to get out of bed. But also because the time has come where he just doesn't need a crib anymore and we have to adjust to Grant's grown-up-ness even if it can be rather inconvenient at 2 a.m. 

He looks so cute and grown up in his big guy bed :)