Max you are TWO!!!!!!!

Yep, there you are on your 2nd birthday. Looking gloriously happy and filled with joy from every pore. Yes it's true you turned two on February 4th and here it is Feb 13th. So sorry this is late.

This is what I want to say to you.

Thank you.

You brighten my life every single day.
You are amazing, breathtakingly joyful, talented, strong, funny, fun, kind, sweet, adorable, dear, darling, cute, I could go on and on!

The best part of my day is when we wake up and you are snuggling with me, and when we go to sleep and you are snuggling with me. Basically you are so into wrapping yourself around us. I love that. I know this might end as you get older so every time you do it I try my best to be very present for it.

ok - stats:

Sign language - these are all the words I can think of that you sign:

1.more
2.all done
3.milk
4.cracker
5.cereal
6.water
7.ball
8.train
9.rain
10.wind
11.tree
12.friend
13.day
14.night
15.thank you
16.please
17.apple
18.phone
19.diaper
20.signing time
21.play
22.plane
23.stop
24.car
25.mama
26.papa
27.grandpa
28.grandma
29.dog
30.yo gabba gabba ( he made up his own sign for this )
31.sleep
32.bath
33.book
34.shoes
35.bubbles

Not sure if I missed any here. I'll add them if I think or see more of them...
You're starting to use two signs together like
more bubbles
more ball
etc.

Now if I ask you where your nose is you will point to it.
You do this with your belly button, ear, foot, hand and teeth.
You'll also point to them even if I don't ask you to. You are really interested in showing me your nose and bellybutton. over and over. And then you clap and smile really big because you are so proud you know where those body parts are what they are called.

This blog post has taken me 2 days to write - in between all the packing for our big move I will write a little as I pass by the computer....It's much more difficult to write when so much is going on - and it's all for YOU! This big move will give you a gerat life ( not that you don't already have one! ) but papa's work situation will be much more balanced. He will be home at a decent hour at night so you will see more of him which will make mama even more happy as well.
He can't wait to teach you how to ski and I can't wait to stay in and watch it snow while sipping hot chocolate! ok - I'll go inner tubing with you and I'll show you how to make an angel in the snow with your body and how to make snowballs to throw at papa. You'll also get to see your cousins regularly and your grandma, grandpa and aunt and uncle! Grandma DeeDee and Grandpa Rich will fly out to visit you regularly as well! Loads of family close by will be so much fun.

I hope to show you Los Angeles again - actually every year there is a Down syndrome conference in Pasadena that Jerry and I want to take you to so you can see all of your old friends and we can pass by the house you first lived in, take you back to the hospital you were born in and bring you to Huntington Gardens where we spent so much time these first two years of your life.

Today was your last Physical Therapy Session with Joe and it was so sad for me to sit and watch and know you wouldn't be with him anymore. He was so so so good at helping you become stronger, more balanced, gain ab strength and all around support you and love you for who you are. We will miss Joe so much! I'll post photos soon.

ok
your favorite foods right now:
Formula ( News flash - you can hold your own bottle from beginning to end!!!!!! This is HUGE! )
Cereal ( wheat free cherrios type of cereal. )
Barley teething biscuits
fruit ( cantalope, watermelon, banana, apple )
french fries
sweet potato fries
and um...that's it.
Yep - you are very very picky and not interested.

Sometimes you'll eat scrambled eggs.


What else???

Well you are very vocal and starting to really give me your opinions about everything. You get pretty upset if you can't do something. You HATE being in your room with the gate shut.
You LOVE being in the bathtub as long as we DON'T wash your hair.
You love going to the park but HATE being in the car seat all day ( I would too )
You LOVE opening and closing cabinets, drawers, doors.
And you love walking around the house
you can just go go go go go go go go go
you love to investigate your toys. You pull things around, flip them upside down, turn them inside out and are so curious about it all.
You love to have books read to you.
Your favorites are " Peek a Who"
and " Whose in the Garden "
You love music and rock out to all types. You love to bang on the drum, play keyboards and dance.

Did I mention that your favorite TV show is Yo Gabba Gabba
and you watch that and your Signing Time DVD's while sitting in your travel high chair or right up at the tv so you can push the buttons "on" and "off" over and over and over and over again.

You have Speech therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy once a week each and when you are up we go to the park to see your mom's club friends or on Friday's we go to Club 21 for your playgroup there. But you miss those a lot because of naps.

Mama stays home full time to be with you and make sure you get to therapy during the week and get out to see different sights, meet people and play and learn. Mama LOVES being home with you and feels SO SO SO LUCKY to have this time with you.

Well, this was a long post but I wanted to share where you are at right now so when you are older you can read about yourself and learn what you were like when you were TWO!

Your mama and papa love you so much it actually makes our hearts BURST with joy just thinking about you. Seeing you, watching you grow, learning all about you as you express yourself and expand your understanding of the world is THRILLING!

And that smile.....
leaves me speechless.
It's contagious
and you are such a gift.

Thank you Max for another amazing year being here with us.
I am looking forward to each new day with you.

Love
Mama