2 1/2 Years Old Today

Luke is two and a half years old today! It is amazing to me how fast time goes--yes, I know I say that a bunch but it's true! We are having a quiet day at home because it is cold and snowy outside. I actually love these days at home when we don't have to go anywhere or do anything because we have so much fun together. Luke is also usually pretty snuggly on days like these which makes it even better. I relish the snuggles because Luke is not so free about sharing them as he used to be.

So what else is my kiddo up to--I'll tell you but there's no way to cover it all!

• Luke is talking incredibly well--pretty much everything is in sentence form. The other day he said a 14 word sentence. It was a run-on but it was still a sentence in my book. We also have full conversations with him and it's absolutely so much fun! Lately he has been saying, "Here me is." I've been working with him to say here I am which from Luke comes out as, "Here my yam." Although sometimes he gets the "I" sound right.
• Luke can count to 16 (without skipping 8 anymore) and sings too many songs to count. Through the holidays "Jingle Bells" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" were heard numerous times during the day.
• His favorite toys still include dinosaurs and Thomas the Train. More recently cars and music/singing have become higher on the list.
• I should include books as a favorite too. On days that we stay home we can sit and read over 10 books in a row without interruption. Luke has also started "reading" books to us and he also will "read" to himself if we are reading. I love that he is so into books.
• Another recent development is singing our prayer before we eat. It used to be that we would have Luke repeat after us when we prayed but now he sings the prayer they use at MDO--it's "For We Thank You." Luke will also sing it by himself at random times throughout the day.
• As any toddler, Luke is constantly asking questions. What's this? Why? Where are we going? He also will repeat a question until he gets what he thinks is a good answer.
• Unfortunately eating well still is not a top priority for Luke. I have managed to find a few more meals that he will eat with us but Troy and I can only handle those so many times in a row before we need something different. And I'm almost convinced that Luke will never eat solid vegetables! Ugh! I know it can be a long process but I'm so done with it.
• Luke is still a rockstar sleeper! He goes to bed between 8 and 8:30 and usually wakes up around 8. Naptime is also great; typically I can expect 2+ hour naps and sometimes it still can be over 3 hours.
• Something I don't think I've ever mentioned before in my updates about Luke is how expressive he is all the time. He makes some of the greatest faces and you know exactly how he is feeling when you look at him and he has been that way ever since he was a baby. I'm glad my mom reminded me about this fun Luke fact. (Let me know if I've missed something that you think should be included.)
• Luke's memory amazes us. While traveling for Christmas he could tell us what happened at each grandparents house the previous time we visited there. He will also repeat things he has heard throughout the day or even from a previous day.
• We also love that Luke is a big helper. He really likes to help me in the kitchen when I'm cooking, he lets Maggie in and out and he loves to help me move the laundry in and out of the washer and dryer. I know this will pass so we're taking advantage of it now.
• Potty training is unfortunately non-existant right now. We talk about it and ask Luke if he wants to sit on the potty but he adamently refuses. It's frustrating because he will tell us when he is or has gone to the bathroom in his diaper so he understands that part. We just have to wait until he's ready--hopefully sooner rather than later.
• Luke's manners are also very good which is something I am proud of because I work with him a bunch on those. He is very good about saying please, thank you, excuse me, bless you and we are working on you're welcome and asking for things nicely (the phrasing not just the please part). I recently had someone comment on how polite he was and it made me so proud.
• Some more favorites: riding on Dad's shoulders, playing with Benjamin, going for walks in the neighborhood, going to MDO and the big truck he plays with constantly there, petting Maggie and Daisy (who are both very tolerant), combing his hair, and my favorite--just being a cute, adorable little boy.