At 7:21 tonight, I will have kept Evan alive for exactly 2 years. All the cliched stuff you’ve ever read about babies getting older totally applies here: I can’t even remember my life before I had him, the time has gone so fast, he’s made me a better person, cherish every moment because before you know it they’ll be walking and talking and leaving you in their dust as they run off to play with their friends. But those are cliches because they are all SO TRUE but shockingly, they still caught me by surprise. Where did my teeny tiny little baby go? Why is he sleeping in a big boy bed and eating cereal and milk with a spoon and asking me if I’m hurt when I cry? Who let him get so grown up and have all these opinions about stuff?

The truth is I can’t be too sad because this age is just SO MUCH FUN I can barely stand it. We read tons of books. He picks out outfits. He can play on his own for long periods of time but still wants us to watch him do silly things. There are balls and blocks and crayons and stamps and stickers all over my house. He’s also a super good helper. He’s in charge of putting the soap in the dishwasher and starting it, unloading the silverware, putting his dishes in the sink, putting his jammies in the hamper in the morning, and feeding the dog (most of the above with a liiiiittle assistance from mama). He loves to help with the baby too, and loves holding her and talking to her. I put them in the side-by-side stroller at Stroller Strides and he “shared” his laptop and tried to share his sippy cup when she fussed. It’s heart-meltingly cute to see them together.

But no matter how big and grown up and independent he gets, he’ll always be my baby.

The balloons I bought for these pictures made his WEEK. Wait until he sees his party on Saturday. I’m actually worried his little body might explode with joy. And coming soon here on the blog: first haircut, big boy room makeover, 2nd birthday party details and pics. It’s such an exciting time in the Davis household!

24 Month Milestones (from BabyCenter as usual)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
• Names at least six body parts – He can sing almost all of “head, shoulders, knees and toes”, so that’s 8 body parts right there. He also really loves teeth.
• Half of speech is understandable – To ME? Yes, probably 50%. To other people? Probably closer to 30%. He still babbles a lot, although I think he thinks he’s talking.
• Makes two- to three-word sentences – Yes, especially if they involve someone falling down. “Uh oh, I fell down!” “Uh oh, mama fell down!” “Uh oh, bebeh fell down!” He also recently started saying “Dada at work. On boat!” because I told him his dada worked on a boat. It’s easier than explaining “submarine” or “sometimes in an office but he goes to boats a lot”.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
• Talks about self – See “falling down” above. He will also tell me how he feels – sad, wet, tired (night night), hurt – but doesn’t say his name, although he does know it.
• Arranges things in categories – Ummm…I’m not sure we play any games that would encourage that. Although our friend Merin sent him some little plastic dog figures he LOVES and he definitely arranges them all together. And then kicks them.
• Can walk down stairs – Yes, with or without a railing. He also refuses to hold my hand while he does it.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
• Begins to understand abstract concepts (e.g., sooner and later) – He knows “one minute” means later but isn’t always happy to hear it.
• Becomes attuned to gender differences – I don’t think so, especially based on his love of wearing my jewelry and his attempts to put on mascara every morning. Although I think as Caroline gets older he might start to notice.
• Learns to jump – He has been jumping correctly – both feet off the floor – for months. He’s got fantastic gross motor skills. Seriously. He can already do most of the things on the next milestone chart up, as long as it involves physical abilities. Not so much with the talking.

Other stuff I don’t want to forget: He really, really loves lying down, especially if he has a blanket and a cup of milk. He doesn’t eat very much but is willing to try new stuff without too much of a battle. His favorite shows are The Price is Right and reruns of Friends (I’m teaching him to clap during the theme song) because we’re never home for actual kid’s shows and don’t have cable. His favorite books are “A Child’s Goodnight Book” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” – both were mine when I was a child. He will sit through a longish story book but still likes the naming-things books too. Sometimes he gets out of his big boy bed when he’s supposed to be napping, but he’ll climb back in when he’s tired and wants to sleep. He can take off his shirt and put it on again (although it might be backwards or inside out) and takes off his pajamas most mornings. He loves to stretch at the end of Stroller Strides because he knows it means he will get to run around in a minute. He is extremely loud and active at home but gets overwhelmed and sort of quiet when there are lots of other children around. He’s still willing to be held by strangers and gives out hugs and kisses to practically anyone who asks. Brutus is still his best friend. I love him.

Only 2 years from this...

...to this. Amazing.