Expression

I know that I am expressive.  You never have to guess what I am thinking because it is “written all over my face.”  We have a joke here on our team that I can never have a candid picture taken where my face isn’t contorted somehow.  Julia and Kalin visited last week, and they agreed to get pictures of our library day.  I thought it would be fun to post the pictures they got of me during a read-aloud.  It isn’t a joke.  It is real.  I don’t do well with candid shots, but at least you know that I get into the reading.  🙂

Well, I have never been given the compliment “you are so photogenic.”  🙂  But here in the Living Library Program, I am very happy to say that I work on a great team of “expressive” people.  I feel that I am not so alone…  🙂

CT—2 years old

April 19 is your birthday. I am writing your post late, and I plan to write your big sister’s birthday post after this (her’s will be more than one month late!). And that, my son, is a sign that life is just a bit more full with three little people instead of two and most definitely one. I have quite a few pictures to post here. I hope to shed light on you as a two-year-old by describing what is going on in these pictures…

It is hard to believe that you have gone from this little face on Day 1…

April 19, 2011

to this cute little 2-year-old face this month…

April 20, 2013 (your birthday party)

Here is a little bit about you:

1. You LOVE anything that has wheels, and you especially love the sounds they make. You ask every day if you can “Play” (draw out the “ehhhh” in that word) which means the sandbox. You will spend hours out on our little patio shoveling sand and moving your dump trucks around (your Xmas present). It was very appropriate that you had a “transportation” theme for your birthday party.

I hate that we don’t have a yard in this city life, but this sandbox on our tiny patio has been a blessing for little boy energy.

2. You are showing the true colors of a “Terrible Two” here lately. Neither of your sisters ever threw fits so this is a new arena for us. You tend to throw punches when you don’t get your way, scream out when you don’t get what you want, and you are a pro at body contortion so that it is hard to hold you. We are working on that. You spend way more time “in your room” because of this, and I have a feeling you will be having more “stern talks” from your daddy and momma than your sisters needed. You look really cute in this little shopping buggy, but I have come to despise them. You throw a fit going into the store if I don’t put you in one (they don’t hold very many groceries), and the one time I put you in one (here), you r.e.f.u.s.e.d. to get out when it was time. Let’s just say we have had our share of times when I was “that mom” in the grocery store and Plaza Vea. You are VERY passionate about your wheels.

pretty cute, but not in the after-story

3. You are my little buddy. I have chosen to grocery shop on Sunday mornings so that you can stay at the house with big sisters and Daddy. But you are my shopping buddy on Monday mornings, Wednesday mornings, and Friday mornings when I stroll you to the café. Ana isn’t usually with us, but this is your get-up: the stroller and your little sombrero (the hat Ana wore at her very first jardín).

you are usually happier than this photo shows. You delight when I ask, “Cohen, are you ready to go ‘Chau?'”

4. You are the stereotype for “boy.” Nature definitely wins the argument, because we have not encouraged the things you tend to like. As your Daddy reflected the other day, not only do you love things with wheels, you prefer “chucks” (trucks) to “carrrrrrz” (cars) and you prefer “chactoors” (tractors) to trucks. No one has taught you these things. You just know. But having two big sisters still gives you a sweet, gentle side. It is a common scene to see you pushing the stroller around, cooking in the play kitchen and bringing me something “Hahhhhhhhttt” (hot), or pretending you are going to the market with your purse and cellphone.

pushing the Smith girls’ stroller around with a dump truck instead of a baby doll.

5. You annunciate the ends of words so well. If a word ends in a consonant, you pronounce it very clearly. I know your Aunt Katy (the speech path) would enjoy listening to your speech development. You are talking more and more. My favorite short phrases that you say right now are “Ahh-own-no” (I don’t know) and “Top itt!” (Stop it). Our favorite word that you say is milk. You sound a little bit like a cow and ask for “Mee-ehhllll-kkk.” Ha! You also speak a lot more Spanish than your sisters did at your age. You are home every Thursday by yourself with Manuela. She has taught you so many words, and you respond correctly in your actions when she asks you to do something in Spanish. One word you act on very quickly is “baile” (dance). You shake it like a real latino. Manuela takes credit and is very proud of you. You have also just recently come up with a breakdance move where you spin on the floor off of your hands. 🙂

6. You love “bahhls” (balls) and to “tump” (jump). You have just recently been getting some air on your jumping, but it has to be one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Your mother can be heard giggling a mile away when you are showing off your “tumping” skills.

7. You are still taking a mid-day nap (around 2 hours) and you sleep from 7 pm to 7 am. You are a fantastic sleeper and every baby-sitter that puts you to bed tells us that you are super easy to lie down. Your routine is still paci, blanket, and monkey, but you have started going to bed with a few trucks lately. We have not transitioned you to the big bed (your sisters were sleeping in big beds months before turning two) because you are too good of a climber and you just won’t stay in the bed (we tried one night). I am happy with you being in the pack-n-play for now. You can reach the plug to your fan and the switch to the lamp, so there are many late nights that I come in after you have fallen asleep to plug the fan back in and turn the lamp off.

8. You have this thing right now where you act like a cat. If we say the word “cat” you transform. You get down on all fours, meow, and answer in a high-pitched cat voice. Many mornings I come in to get you out of bed and I pick up a cat instead. It is very helpful when you desire for me to chase you. All I say is “hey there little kitty-cat” and you transform and crawl over to me. Ha!

9. You treat Ana like a second mom. You go to her when you are sad or want to be comforted. You ask her for help. You treat Maggie like your twin sister. You guys fight, hit, and bicker with the best of them. But you also love chasing each other around in laughter.

Can you even tell who is older? You are two, and Maggie is 3 months from turning 4!

10. You love getting a hold of “lellows.” I am not sure why you call “markers” that, but you throw a fit when I catch you with one that your sisters leave out. You think you are so big when you get to color with markers.

11. You are affectionate. You have no problem with the Peruvian greeting and good-bye of kissing someone and hugging them. You say so many of the Peruvian names. Your favorites are “Dita” (Anita), “Vina” (Etelvina), and of course, “Lela” (Manuela).

12. You LOVE Manuela. You run down the stairs when you think you hear her coming in. You show her all of your trucks, lining them up in the kitchen for her, and you always want to eat breakfast with her (even if you have already eaten). You prefer “pan” (the Spanish word for bread) like a true Peruvian. Again, she takes great pride in teaching you these things. She planned to come to your birthday party (which is huge because she usually won’t come to activities I invite her to on her day off), but she ended up being sick. But the next day she worked, she brought you a complete set of tractors with a trailer. You love them, but not as much as she loves you. 🙂

Can you see the joy Manuela is getting in the background?

Here are some pics from your birthday party. We invited all the boys from the church, but the Peruvians couldn’t make it. You had an all kids-gringo party…

your invites. I splurged and bought the “Cars” themed invitations.

dump truck cake

we had “Choo-Choo Chicken,” “Vroom-Vroom Verduras (veges),” “Semáforo (stoplight) Fruta,” “Hot Rod Salsa,” “Spare Tires,” “Nubes (clouds) Popcorn,” and served drinks form the “Pit Stop.” Can you tell I had fun with it?

my traditional birthday display of you in every year you complete.

Daddy set up part of your gift as a ramp for all the kids to play with. It was a big hit, especially with you!

all the kids that came

Daddy had as much fun as you setting up your new truck ramps

the boy-equivalent to your sisters’ doll house

the collection has begun…

Cohen Timothy, what a joy you are. You are not our little baby boy anymore. We love you, and I want you to know that your momma treasure all of these things in her heart.