Two years old!

My baby is two years old today. We're at our annual family reunion/vacation so he's had quite a fun day! We rode bikes along Lake Michigan, watched boats in the harbor, played in the fountain, went for a wagon ride, played with cousins, touched a fish, pushed a baby in a stroller and had fifty-some people sing him happy birthday!





Daniel's favorite trick lately is to hiccup. He says "hippup!" and then makes a hiccuping sound, complete with shoulder jumps. He's talking all the time these days and repeats everything we say. It's really fun to hear him say big words in his little voice and for him to be able to communicate with us so much more easily. Except for the times when I have absolutely no idea what he's trying to say!

He's very good at jumping and gets a kick out of walking backwards. He's quite a climber and he loves to run. The other night, he went out on the deck and ran circles around the table. He'd stop and sit for a few seconds on the step and then take off running again. He ran for almost half an hour straight!


He has favorite books that he asks for by name and can finish some of the sentences. He has several favorite songs too. He can sing a lot of the ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Jesus Loves Me. Recently we were driving in the car and I heard him in the back seat singing "double, x, y, z... now know ... sing me."

He likes to share things with people and is a great little helper. He loves trains and trucks and playing in sand and water. His fine motor skills are pretty good and he enjoys building things. He's also loved cutting things lately. We had watermelon last week and he very intently cut it up into very small pieces. He might have eaten one! He's tends to be pretty focused and notices the details.

(helping daddy fix the dishwasher)

He really enjoys being around people, though it takes him a little while to warm up to someone. He's having so much fun this week with all his aunts and uncles and cousins. And he's still enough of a snuggle bug to make mama happy :) I love this little boy so much and am having a whole lotta fun being his mama. He's pretty special and we're really proud of him! Happy Birthday Daniel!