Happy Birthday, Dear Noah...

Okay, so I'm a bit late--but yes, our boy turned TWO, with a Pablo-shaped cake and everything. (And Mom, thanks for all your help--the cake wouldn't have been the success it was if it hadn't been for your help, guidance & encouragement!) We had a very nice celebration --Mom & Dad (aka Momaw and Popaw--that's about as close to approximating his pronunciation as I can get!) were here Tuesday through Friday, and then Dan, Janet & Rachel (aka Papa, Mimi & Rachel...and sometimes "Ray-Ray") were here Friday night through Sunday. I was going to do two cakes, but Janet said that we'd just eat on the one that we already had (sorry, Rachel...). I will do one when we go to Knoxville next weekend. I was pretty happy with how the cake turned out, once I gained some perspective and saw the pictures. It's Pablo-shaped, and then Mom mixed up the colors, and I smeared them on in a close approximation of where they should be. I think what made it all worth it was the look of absolute excitement on Noah's face when he saw the cake. I'd make 400 of those things, just to get that same expression!

He has really grown--we had our 2-year check-up at the doctor, and he is 25.8 lbs, and 36 1/4" tall. No, that's not a misprint. His head is about at my waist and he's just two!!! Luckily, we're in shorts-weather, because I can already tell it'll be fun finding pants to fit him. He's got a skinny little waist, but long legs. He'll probably be in a size 5 pants, and I'll have to cinch the waist with belts!

His vocabulary is growing by leaps & bounds, too; and it's stuff that you had NO IDEA that he heard, much less retained! There's a show called "Max & Ruby." Drives me crazy. As far as I could tell, he was so-so about it. Then one day last week, he wakes up from his nap talking about "Max & Ruby." I can't remember the last time we'd watched the show, but he wanted to tell me about it. He's recently started saying "Okay, sorry" which is something I think he picked up from school--not that we don't say sorry, but it's really been full-force these past few days...which makes me wonder if I shouldn't ask the teacher if Noah is doing stuff he needs to be sorry about! I did peek in his classroom window the other day, and he was leading another little boy across the room; it looked like Noah had a death grip on this other boy's hand, and I just about made me cry, the way my little baby looked like a big boy. Of course, we're running into some issues with his headstrong-itude, too--when he gets something in his mind that he wants to do, he does not like hearing "no." I mean, really--who among us doesn't like to get our own way? So far we've just ignored his little outbursts, making sure that he can't hurt himself (though when he starts pulling hair, I cringe, but I also know that he'll stop if it hurts too bad)--and he seems to settle down. I think my age is an advantage to some extent, because I really don't care what other people think of me on the best day, much less when I have a tantrum-throwing toddler in my store buggy. I know that if this were 20 years ago, I'd have been mortified that my son just threw 4 fruit snacks at me, and was shrieking, "NONONONONONONONONONO!" But today (and it was today, at WalMart...which I think made it easier, somehow. I think because everyone is equal at WalMart.), didn't faze me a bit. I just kept looking for where the tarps would be. (Surprise, surprise--they were in a logical place--the camping section! Which is why I couldn't find them....)

Why do we need a tarp? Why, to cover our pool! That's right, boys-n-girls--we have a fancy blow-up pool that's big enough for all of us! At once! We had a smaller pool (the one Mom & Dad got him last summer seems SO itty bitty now!) that he wasn't really interested in unless I got in with him. Okay, it has been awhile since I've taken yoga classes, so me getting into his little pool was a bit...uh, fun. But this one, holy cow--it's 10' X 6' X nearly 2'. I can completely stretch out longways, and Noah seemed to have fun, too. We bought all sorts of pool toys, and are introducing them one at a time. He's gone under a couple of times, but nothing major, and he did very well (of course I was right there with him--he just got going too fast & his feet slipped out from under him, but he was fine)--got scared the first time, but we got through it & he continued playing in the pool, which I thought was good. I've joked with Patrick (since he thinks it's a bit red-necky to have a big inflatable pool in the backyard...and yes, it kinda is, but who cares when it's a billion degrees outside & your son is wanting desperately to go OUTSIDE!!!!!) that we just need to dig a big ol' hole & put the pool in it. Then we'd have an in-ground pool! Oh, an here's something to add to the vision--I bought a fish net (the kind that you scoop fish out of an aquarium with) to skim the leaves & such that get in the pool. I tell ya, we've got a CLASSY set up!

Okay, news: we're going to be replacing our thermostat. We noticed that it kept running when it shouldn't be, because the thermostat is registering about 7 degrees warmer than the actual temperature. I've ordered one that Consumer Reports seems to think is a good one, and it's an Energy Star, programmable for several days, etc. etc., so we'll see how that works. I've done a 2nd coat of primer on the bathroom walls, and done one coat of primer on the dark wood trim, so the whole bathroom looks TOTALLY different now--I'll have to go over the wood again before I paint, I think, but it's just opened that room so much. Plus, the light-wood vanity doesn't seem like such an odd thing anymore! I've started to prime the laundry room, and with just the little I've done it makes a HUGE difference!!! I put some paint over the blue & yellow splotches that used to be the closet in the dining room, and I'll have to go over them AGAIN because in certain light you can still see that blue/yellow peeking through, but it looks SO MUCH better!!!!! Patrick has his 2nd speech on Monday (outline due tonight), so I've had lots of time to paint after Noah goes to sleep... I enjoy painting, and it gives immediate gratification, but let's be honest--after a hot day of running around after Noah, it's a lot more fun to sit on my butt after he goes to bed!

And the biggest news of all...

We're going to start POTTY TRAINING!!!!

I've put a bunch of books on hold at the library, and tonight we're picking out a potty chair. I've tried to read reviews, but it seems for every person that LOVES this chair or that one, there's another comment that says how awful it is... The main thing that I've taken away from the reviews is this: there will be pee on the bathroom floor. Potty chairs come with a "guard" at the front of the ring specifically to prevent little boys from just peeing everywhere. Depending on the chair you get, though, these guards either serve as toys for the boys to pull off & play with while sitting on the chair (and then when they do pee, there's no guard there to stop the pee from going where it darn well wants to), or the guards are designed poorly, so that it just serves as a pee run-off guide (and not into the toilet). *Sigh* There is a urinal, which I think is pretty cool (and I'm sure Patrick would love to get one)--and yes, I can see where it would be good, because then you don't have to retrain your boy to stand up to pee--but then you still need a potty for the poop to go in (I looked at the pictures of the urinal, and as clever as Noah is, I don't think he'd be able to poop in the urinal). And then, if I set Noah on the potty to poop, am I going to make him get up to go to his urinal to pee? And you would not BELIEVE how many potty chairs there are out there!!! There are the rings to go over the adult toilet seats (which I like--they're padded, and have Diego & other characters on them), then weird Dr. Seuss-looking seats, then miniature replicas of toilets that are toddler-sized that have sound effects and their own toilet-paper holders! Our Dr. suggested getting something that allows Noah to push with his feet--so I think, tall as he is, that rules out the padded seats over the adult toilet seats... We have seen a Winnie-the-Pooh seat, which, to me, a Pooh Potty Seat is incredibly appropriate. Plus, he seemed to like it... Then again, is he going to be turning around to look at the characters???

He's so funny...Patrick and I were talking, and we just really enjoy Noah's sense of humor. There are times when I know that he's just doing stuff to be silly, and he just cracks me up. Patrick and I were playing a mild version of "Keep Away" with him & his ball, and he just started laughing so hard he could barely stand up...I hope he keeps that sense of humor! He's also gotten a lot more daring--he can get up & down from the sofa by himself, but sometimes he likes to take his little Pooh foam chair & put it on the sofa and then try to sit in the Pooh chair on the sofa. Mommy isn't too fond of that game... And, sometimes, he figures that he got up on the sofa, why stop there? Why not go all the way to the top of the bookcases right behind the sofa??? (Granted, they're short bookcases...well, they're as tall as he is, so when he stands on them, he's taller than the back of the sofa, and, well, Mommy just doesn't like it when he does that.) He's really singing now--if a song comes on that he knows & likes (or if you start singing a song), he'll sing WITH you, which is amazing. He also has some mad dance skills that he's been showing off! When he looks at a book, you can hear him talking to himself, like he's reading the book. Much to our surprise, about a week ago, when we were reading his night-time stories, he started reciting along. It's about Little Nut Brown Hair & we change it to Noah Nut Brown Hair and Mommy Nut Brown Hair, and how much Mommy Nut Brown Hair loves little Noah Nut Brown Hair. When Noah was reciting it, however, it came out as "Mommy Butt Hair."

I find myself saying things to him that I never thought I'd have to say to ANYBODY...like today, I had to say, "Noah, we don't sit on the cat."

Enjoy the pictures!

Cool baby in his sunglasses!

Yay! The 'Wonder Pets' saved the day...again! I just love how Noah & Grandpa are having such fun...

I think Grandma & Noah are watching "Happy Feet"--and notice they've got their arms in the exact same position...

Pablo cake!

Is that look priceless??? Thanks, Mom, for capturing this moment!

He just seems so excited that it's a CAKE in the shape of PABLO!!!

Yum! CAKE!!! Rachel took this one, I believe...I just love that the fork is in one hand with some cake on it, but he's obviously shoving it in his mouth with his other hand!

Holding one of his beloved balls... This time, a basketball, to go with his new hoop!

Nothin' but net! Thanks, Mimi & Papa!

Mom took this one...I just love the look of concentration, the popsicle in his mouth, and it seems that he's thinking, "Hmmm...wonder if the belly button is still there. Lemme check."

Noah took a tumble...a somersault, actually, and scraped up his head. ON THE CEMENT. I felt so awful... It looked & sounded worse than it was. Plus, another popsicle made it all better. That, and a Diego band-aid (which stayed on his head about 5.6 seconds).

Present from Mommy & Daddy--a ROLLER COASTER!!!


Another picture of our boy on a sugar high...


Such a happy boy!!!!