25 Months

I haven’t participated in Paper Mama’s photo challenges for a long time, but I saw this week’s theme and couldn’t resist. You don’t mind me reposting a recent shot do you?

Especially not when it’s as cute as that one, right? What better pic to embody the theme of “Friends?”

Anyway. While Mommy wasn’t paying attention, another whole month has passed and I turned 25 months on Saturday. {Which means the last few of my birthday Thank You notes are seriously overdue – but we’re working on them!}

Mommy now not only has to come to grips with the fact that I’m 2, but also that time stubbornly *continues* to pass? Any minute now she’ll be attending my Harvard graduation…

My most recent weigh-in put me at 24.5 pounds and 33″ tall. I’m just transitioning to size 5 diapers, but I still rock 18 month (and occasionally even *12* month) pants. Grammy Boo and Daddy each got me a pair of sneakers for the fall, and I’m just about a size 7, which is a BIG change from my size 5.5 summer sandals!

In the past few weeks, my vocabulary has exploded – it is becoming easier and easier to understand me and I’m learning more English and relying less on Cole-bonics. My favorite toys continue to be my trains and puzzles, but I also *love* to read – either with someone or to myself; I bring books into my crib at naptime when I’m not SO sleepy yet. MY favorite, favorite, FAVORITE thing is going for walks with Daddy and Henry and Sugarplum.

I am *obsessed* with taking her everywhere I go, and she likes to sit on my lap while we watch Curious George. Sometimes, I even share my blankie with her, but mostly she just naps in her stroller.

I’m all set to check in with BabyCenter, but I need to first establish that Mommy is *very* distressed to find that I have jumped to a new chart AND, on this new chart, the milestones are grouped bimonthly {Is that the one that means every 2 months? or does it mean twice a month? I get that confused, but I’m only 2, so lets cut me some slack, mmkay? For the record, I mean the first one.}. So I guess we’ll see how I’ve progressed on these same skills next month…

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)

• Stacks six blocks – Not just 6 – I can stack 10! And then I knock them right over and laugh hysterically. Dr. Destructo here.
  
• Walks with smooth heel-toe motion – This might be easier to judge if I ever actually *walked* anywhere: not so much. I definitely can usually be found RUNNING, or sometimes skipping {which Mommy will tell you is the cutest thing EVER}, or jumping, but walking is boring.
  

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)

• Uses pronouns (e.g. I, me, you) – Does it count if I use them incorrectly? Whenever I find something/someone we’re looking for, I yell “There he is!” but I don’t discriminate by gender. Mostly I refer to people by their proper names and I talk about myself in the 3rd person. COLE DO IT! I have definitely mastered “mine!” though. Mine, I know.

• Washes and dries own hands – I’ll put my hands in the sink and wipe them on a towel, but this is not hospital-level scrubbing or anything.
  

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)

• Speaks clearly most of the time – “Most of the time” might be a stretch, but it’s getting easier and easier for people to understand me; Mommy doesn’t need to translate as much these days. And I talk a LOT.
  

• Draws a vertical line – Seriously? I *just* figured out crayons were for drawing and not for chewing on about 2 months ago. Mostly I just scribble.