2!

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Jackson's 2nd birthday, which is really weird because I'm pretty sure he just turned 1 a few months ago... but then again, when he woke up this morning, he looked like he was 4.  Time is not only flying, but also turning around in somersaults.

The day of his birthday was pretty unspectacular.  We had just moved into our new home, and everything was (and still is) a complete mess.  For all my motherly desires to make the day special, nothing was planned.  No cake, no party, no big presents.  Part of me felt like a failure, and the other part of me knew that it was all going to be okay.  The 9-month pregnant momma gets a pass on a few things, right?

But what started as an uneventful day actually turned out pretty great.  Grandma brought over balloons and Nothing Bundt Cake Bundtinis, cousins happened to be coming into town, Daddy had ordered a few small presents from Amazon, and to top it off, we decided to head over to Chuck E. Cheese's for an impromptu party.

A few days later we had a second (super simple) celebration with the other side of the family: pizza, cake, and a few presents.  The state of our house had not improved much, but I at least felt comfortable enough to have people sit in the living room.

A few things to love about my 2-year-old baby boy:

• Although his diet seems to consist mainly of chicken nuggets and rye-ryes (French fries), he is an excellent eater.  Loves vegetables and fruit.  Can eat an entire avocado in one sitting.  Unlike his mama, he loves green beans.  It's not hard to make him happy in the food department. 
• His expanding vocabulary impresses me daily... and keeps me on my toes.  He is now at stage where he repeats everything we say, so when I mutter "Oh, crap!" under my breath, I have to remember that I now have a little echo of "Oh, cap!"  I love that I can understand almost everything he is trying to tell me and take a weird delight in translating for other people.  
• He told us the other day: "I need haircut."  Ummm, okay?  Since when did you start making decisions for yourself?  He is becoming very independent, which is awesome, but at the same time, we are staring the Terrible Two's right in the face, waiting to see who blinks first.
• His smile, his laugh, his blonde hair that gets curly when long or humid or wet.  His sense of humor.  His growing imagination.  Everything about Jackson just makes him that much cuter.  Sometimes I can hardly stand how adorable this little boy is.  

So, even though I'm a little behind in documenting the event, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my soon-to-be-big-brother little boy.  We love him more than words can say.