I also realized I never came back and wrote Anthony's 2 1/2 year letter. Drat! Here goes (vacation photos follow)...
Dear Anthony,
You're 2 1/2. I know (based on the older kiddos of our street) that these half-way birthday marks are very important. If I had my way, we would throw half birthday parties because you're definitely worth celebrating more than once a year! As it happens, I was working on your half birthday so I hope Daddy did something fun with you :)
You've been able to count to ten for a while, but every now and then you get crazy and go to twelve. You can also count backwards from ten. Many times a day I hear "...3...2...1...BLAST OFF!" as you send your little rockets soaring into the sky. So adorable! You can identify all your numbers, even out of order, but you don't seem to care about learning all of the letters yet.
You speak more and more clearly all the time, and even short sentences (when new) crack us up when they pop out of your mouth. You started saying things like, "Daddy, wait! Come back!" When we went to your check up you pointed at the wall and just said "butterflies". You were correct, but I'm not sure if I was able to get that out because I was so amazed to hear you say that for the first time. I expected it to be a little garbled, but it was clear as a bell. There's no way I could count all the words in your vocabulary now, and while I'm very excited, I'm also a little wistful for my little boy. But who could resist you bursting through the door yelling "We're hoooooome!" at the top of your little lungs.
You have been in a little bit (ok...a lot) of the terrible 2's lately. Your listening skills have vanished, and crankiness has taken its place. I hope this is a grumpy growth spurt or something else that passes quickly. You're still sweet when you want to be, but you're easily upset the last couple weeks when you don't get your way. You tell me you have "boo-boo" all the time. You're clumsy sure, but I know some of these boo-boos are just about attention and love (as though I don't smother you with it all the time!). But you're a sweetie, and you've started kissing my boo-boos just like I kiss yours. You have the sweetest little lips and cheeks; I could just mug you all day!
At your appointment we found out you are 34 inches tall (or at least that's what we think because you wouldn't be still), and you're 25 pounds. My little bitty boy!
I love you more than anything. For now and for always.
Mama
He followed Jewel all around the house. Last year he kept calling her "nya-nya", and this year it's "Baby Cat". Which is hilarious seeing as she's 15 years old, old lady :)
She did not return his affection.
Yay, we're at the beach! Most of the conversations mom and I had revolved around: flesh-eating bacteria in the water, jellyfish, and sharks. We're sooooo optimistic. Although our worry-wart sides felt slightly vindicated when the little girl next to us got stung by a jellyfish when she went out pretty far. Of course we're not happy at all that she got injured, but it's that moment of, "see, that's why you stay way up here in the 2-inch water where it's safe." Yeah, we're those people :)
One of the few pictures you'll ever see of me without make up! Mama taught me it's ok to go outside without it as long as you have your sunglasses to hide behind :)
I wish we had pictures from the Houston Children's Museum. I assumed it would be a lot like the Austin museum, nothing noteworthy. But he had a blast for hours and hours at the Houston CM, and we'll definitely be going back!
