To my 2 year old

Oh baby boy,
   Your mama is having a tough time with you turning 2. Hopefully this whole birthday thing will get easier. I think turning 2 is kind of huge because you aren't a baby any more. Here are some of the notes I wrote down when I started thinking about writing this post on March 11th:

Shoes 9.5
Pants 2t but almost 3t. Shorts are 4t I think
Tops 3t
Diapers 5 (now in size 6)
Pjs 4t

The beginning of your 2nd year

Had 3 haircuts (you are getting your 4th one on your birthday)

All teeth but 2 year molars

You are such a lucky boy that you get to go to the park almost every day. At the park you love climbing, going down slides, swings, digging, playing with balls. You love playing with boys and girls of any age. I just taught you to say hi to people instead of "ello!" and you love it.

At home you love to play with blocks, puzzles, color, play doh, balls. Hitting them off tee with bat. Mowing or riding trike in front or back. Dance parties. Reading. Your favorite book is little blue truck. Driving your cozy coupe or fire truck. Playing with cars. Kicking balls. You are a pro at going up and down the stairs. We have had to baby proof even more now that you are opening sliders and you have figured out how to take off the door baby proof things.

You are such a helper, you vacuum, helps with dishes and laundry. Watering.

Favorite foods: veggie-zucchini fruit-banana (nana) pasta, Mac and cheese, cheese, pizza, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, ham, spanish rice. You still have great behavior at restaurants. You know good food.

You are still my little fishy. We went to the indoor pool a few times this winter and you and dada have already jumped in the pool in our backyard.

Loves choo choos.

Favorite animals: dog dogs, meow meow, monkeys.

Loves making animal noises. Does meow, oooh oooh aahh aahh, does hand by nose for elephant. Makes funny clomping/chomping noise for animals you don't know.

You are so polite saying please and thank you unprompted often.

You are such a lover. Always hugging and giving kisses and say "wuv you".

You are still our tall boy. We have an appointment on the 2nd but I'm sure you'll still be in the 90th percentile for height.

You started out pretty coordinated but lately you have become pretty accident prone. You have had a skinned knee for a few weeks. That same leg got all skinned up at your aunt and uncle's and the next day you got a big fat lip. I'm hoping the random scratch on your forehead is better for your party this weekend.

This year you have got to spend two days a week with Papa (Baba) while mama goes to work. The two of you have a great time together and are two peas in a pod. Papa calls himself your bff.

You have gotten better at sleeping but it is still one of your struggles. Dada and Papa put you down for naps now too. But bedtime is still our special time.

When you wake up in the morning you call for mama, dada, or papa. I don't know how you decide each day. If mama or dada come to get you your routine is to grab your bear and just recently your boung boung (bunny), your baby (blankie), your wawa (water), and your seahorse and bring them all into mama and dada's bed. As soon as you are in our bed you want to play with mama's hone (phone).

You are quite the little apple products addict. You love mama's iphone and papa's ipad.

You are obsessed with the gangnam style song. Your favorite tv shows are "melmo" sesame street, "bubble" bubble guppies, and george.

I adore when you say you want to go "out hide" or you want something and point to yourself and say me!

You are still our comedian always being silly or goofy. You have the silliest cheese face and you say cheese any time mama points her phone or camera at you. I guess you have gotten used to posing for a picture since I take about 50 a day.

When I was reading over your 1 year post I mentioned how we are always getting compliments on your eyes and your smile and I thought to myself that people haven't been saying these things as often lately. Then we were at Hobby Lobby today and a lady just walking by says, "Oh, isn't he just the cutest little boy!" You still got it babe ;)

Mama and Dada love you more than you will ever know. We are so proud of the little man you are turning out to be. We know you are going to do amazing things and we are thrilled to help and encourage you along the way. These past 2 years have been the best years of our lives and we know every day we get to spend with you will be one of the best days of our lives. Happy Birthday to our little monkey!

Day 13 30x30

Kinda boring today. Had to have a white t in my choices though.

Click Chicks: black and white

I wasn't sure what I wanted to photograph in black and white this week. We had a busy birthday weekend for my dad wine tasting and bbqing. I also had a relaxing Wednesday afternoon by the pool with Chase. I thought about using the pictures from by the pool today but my white legs looked REALLY white in black and white.

I love this picture of my dad blowing out his candles on his birthday. I love it even more in black and white!

Click Chicks schedule:

may 2nd- insect or animal (looking forward to this one!)

may 9th- bridge

may 16th- mom

may 23rd- celebrate
may 30th- weather

day 12 30x30

Hubby always has the funniest things to say when he gets home from work about my attire. I was curious to hear what he would have to say about today's outfit but it was 92 degrees today so I changed when I went out to play with Chase. So I showed him this picture. He thinks my chambray top is a jean jacket. Weirdo.

Day 11 30x30

I'm all over the place with what day I'm on. Since I wore two outfits in one day on Saturday. But here is outfit 11. We met some mom friend at a shopping center nearby and it is free train day on Tuesdays so we rode the train!

Summer asked where I get my flats and I was hoping Nordstrom still had these flats. They don't from what I see online but here is something similar. It also comes in leopard for those of you that liked my leopard flats.

Blogging has been such a blessing in my life!

There is one more thing I realized during this Boston Marathon tragedy. I love my blog friends. I mentioned on twitter and facebook that my very close blog friend, Ashley, and her sweet daughter were at the race that day. Another blogger that I have been following for 3 years or so, Catalyn, was right there that day.

It just made me realize how long I have known most of you. I've been blogging for almost 4 years now. I'll have to see when I actually started the blog and celebrate my blogiversary! A lot of the bloggers I started following when I first started writing were getting married like I was. Now a lot of us have started families. We have kids around the same age. We've been through a lot together!

Not only have we shared a lot of life experiences like weddings and babies we've been there for each other through the hard stuff. Only my very close friends and family members know some of the things I have shared with you all. You all are the only ones that know my whole cycle. I love that some of us are that close!

But it's not just that. It's that I get to come here and pour my heart out and say the things that maybe I can't say to anyone else and you all read it and support me. How cool is it that you read my diary and still like me.

It feels weird to tell stories about my "friends" but that is what you are to me and I am so grateful to have you all in my life. Blogging has been such a blessing in my life!

My two cents

I have been avoiding the Boston Marathon bombing topic here. I read so many amazing blogs about it that I didn't think I needed to say anything.

Until the pictures of the bombers were released. I posted on facebook that day that those pictures make me sick to my stomach.

I think I'm a pretty forgiving and understanding person. I think I am understanding of a lot more things than most people.

But the amount of time and energy and thought put into hurting hundreds of people? I don't get it. When I saw those pictures of guys with hats and backpacks on they just looked so normal.

I know people say that the bad guys in real life don't look like the ones in cartoons and movies but we've never really seen pictures like that before. I can't think of another tragic even like this where we saw pictures of the person acting out their plan.

Yes, we see weird school photos from school shooters or remember the unibomber sketch? But these pictures? Ick.

I just imagine them plotting every detail. I wonder which one thought it would be a good idea to wear hats.

I think it is human to rationalize these tragedies by saying oh they have something wrong with them. We shouldn't let people with mental illness buy guns or explosives. I don't know. Sounds like these psychos were kinda normal.

I remember being glued to the tv the day it happened hoping for some answers. But the sad thing with these tragedies is we don't really ever get the answers we are looking for. We just have to pray and prevent and try to move on.