Joshua Daniel: Two Years

Our favorite little man is two years old! It has definitely been some of the busiest two years of my life, and most of the time I would not have it any other way. 

Joshua has learned and grown so much in the last six months! It has been amazing to witness. He is running all over the place, getting into everything, and keeping me on my toes. His vocabulary has exploded in the last few months too. He finally graduated from both Speech and OT at the end of April. He went from not talking at all to repeating, or trying to repeat, everything he hears (the good and the not so good). He knows all the basic animal sounds, most of his colors, and we are still working on shapes. I love his cute, little voice and the way he says certain things. It's so fun hearing him try to pronounce things for the first time.
Josh is also FINALLY consistently sleeping through the night. He does still wake some nights (I can hear him on the monitor), but I rarely have to go in and soothe him anymore. He is good at just talking for a minute or cries once or twice and then goes back to sleep. It has been the best. And yet I'm still tired most days ha. He doesn't really snuggle much anymore and that makes me sad so I enjoy the times he falls asleep in the car and he rests his head on my shoulder while I carry him to his crib. He is down to one nap and averages about two hours, sometimes longer and rarely shorter. He goes to bed anywhere between 7:00 and 9:00 PM and wakes up around 7:30 AM.

All of Josh's teeth are just about grown in at this point, he still has a couple that are slowly making their way to being fully in. Glad we are getting a break from teething too cause he was pretty grumpy while all that was going on, not that I can blame him. And even though his teeth are in, he still prefers pureed food. I am struggling to get him to eat solids and he does not seem interested. I'm sure that is partly why he is still so small. And he will eat some things one day and then not even consider it the next. 
He fits just right in his 18 month clothes right now. I did get him some 2T and they are big, but as long as they are shirts or onesies he can get away with wearing them. The pants just slip right off unless we roll them. He is still in size 3 diapers. 
Joshua loves any and all kinds of balls. It was one of his first words. He also enjoys playing with trucks and cars. He got a bunch of hot wheels from Grandma Becky and Granddad for his birthday and was so excited about them all. He was not happy when he had to put them down to go to bed. He asks to go outside all the time. We haven't done that as much over the ridiculously hot summer, and so I'm excited and ready for it to cool down so we can do that again. Although his long little hairs in the back turn all curly when we're out in the humidity and that is adorable.
Josh is obsessed with shoes. He puts on literally anyone's shoes that he can find. Any of the guests that have come over, he helps himself. His nursery leader at church told me he took his off and put on one of the other little girls' that was in there with him. He even walks around in my high heels sometimes. It is pretty funny.
Some of my favorite things that he has been doing recently are saying, "Hand," when he wants me to go somewhere with him and making the mwah sound when he gives me kisses. Some of my not so favorite things are when he throws things, scratches, or pulls hair when he's mad.

Josh has accepted going to nursery and the gym childcare (within the past month or so), and that has been so nice to not have to fight him or leave him crying. And he will go in without his blanket even. I was hesitant to leave it behind because it comforts him when he'd get upset after being dropped off but it was has been good. He is growing up!
Over the past two weeks he had to get two iron infusions because his iron was still low after months of getting it checked, and since I failed to give him his supplements. He does not enjoy getting his blood drawn or being hooked up to the IV, but who does? Once the IV was in though, he did so good. He was entertained and content, even with the little splint on his arm so he wouldn't pull it out. Really hoping after these infusions we will be done with all the after math from being a preemie. He is doing really well on his milestones and everything else so I think we will be out of the need to account his adjusted age. He also hasn't been getting sick as often, knock on wood, and so I'm hoping his immune system is also getting stronger.

Josh has discovered Danny Go, Mickey Mouse, and Bluey. He will sometimes bring me the remote and request the show he wants to watch. He seems to like things with music and/or songs.
The girls adore him and still want to hold him and play with him all the time. They have been so helpful as he has gotten busier and bigger and I'm so grateful. He absolutely love his sisters too and it's fun hearing him call them their names. He gets really excited whenever Dan gets home and if we're outside he will run out to his car and Dan will take him for a ride around the circle.

Trying to get through the fence to get a ball in the neighbor's yard.

He likes playing with the mouse and keyboard.

Always sitting on or jumping on somebody.

The rare snuggles.

He loves bubbles. This was a good Easter basket win.

Every once in a while he will request to wear one of the girls' shirts.

He's really good at "helping" with the dishwasher.

Our favorite speech, occupational, and physical therapists.

He enjoys playing in the rain and, especially, in puddles.

We had to start closing bathroom doors cause he'd like to play in the toilet water.

Visiting Daddy at work on his birthday.

He likes getting into my hats and wearing them around.

His own little pool.

The pants falling off cause he's so skinny.

He learned how to take his clothes and diaper off. Not a fun couple weeks when he did that.

Little guy likes to vacuum.

Grandma Becky got him and Dad matching Bucee outfits and he ate it up.

He has been the greatest addition to our family and I'm so grateful everyday for the miracle he is.