Since we never really got into working on Oliver’s baby book, this blog has served as the on-the-record account of his life. As most of you know, he turned 2 a couple weeks ago. That being said, Sarah and I been talking a lot about documenting Oliver’s interests and related facts. In random order, Oliver at age 2:

• Weighs 30.5 pounds
  
• Stands 35 inches tall
  
• Loves “Thomas & Friends,” both the show and his train toys (he pushes his trains around the track for up to an hour at a time)

 

• Also loves watching “Sesame Street” and “Dora the Explorer”
  
• Has favorite stuffed animals such as the kitty he sleeps with and his “Super Grover”
  
• Knows how to say his ABCs
  
• Can name about 20 letters if I draw them on his dry-erase board
  
• Can count to 15
  
• Can, allegedly according to my mother-in-law, count to 10 in Spanish (I’ve yet to hear it)
  
• Loves books, especially being read to
  
• Has favorite books like “Hop on Pop,” “Cat and the Hat,” “Clifford,” “Ready, Set, Go” and “Guess How Much I Love You”

• Likes to eat foods like yogurt, cheese, applesauce and diced peaches
  
• Enjoys using a fork to dip his meatballs and chicken nuggets in ketchup
  
• Grabs your legs during breakfast and begs for a sip of your orange juice
  
• Loves to play outside, especially picking up sticks in the yard and then throwing them into the ditch behind our house

 

• Has a vocabulary that amazes more and more each day (how does he learn so many words?)
  
• Enjoys turning the stereo on and “dancing” (mostly spinning in circles) then yelling out, “Change the channel” when he doesn’t like a song or when commercials come on the air
  
• Never fusses when it’s time to go to bed or take a nap – he often asks us to put him to sleep
  
• Loves his footie dinosaur pajamas, sometimes getting upset when they’re not clean
  
• Still listens to the same Elizabeth Mitchell CD before he goes to sleep, whether for the night or a nap – if you change the CD, he gets upset
  
• He can sing, word for word, many of the songs on that CD such as “You Are My Sunshine”
  
• Also likes looking at his light projector when falling to sleep (usually, it’s stars and the moon moving across the ceiling)
  
• Runs over to the dog’s bed and yells for me to come over and tickle him – he evens pulls his shirt up so I can dig into his ribs, and has the best, sweetest laugh
  
• Has deep blue eyes that will surely pierce girls’ hearts some day
  
• Loves his little brother, though he still isn’t sure what to do with him (sometimes Oliver will just touch his hair)
  
• Enjoys giving “family hugs,” in which he puts his arm around me and Sarah and squishes his face between ours
  
• Also enjoys giving family hugs with me and the dog
  
• Still calls the dog “Nah-dee” even though he can now pronounce “Molly”
  
• Stands at the door while I walk Molly around the yard so she can go to the bathroom (Oliver often helps by yelling out, “Go poop!”)
  
• Has just started getting into our Skype calls with my parents and sisters, interacting with them and talking to them over the laptop
  
• Enjoys helping around the house, whether cleaning up his toys or putting clothes into the washer and dryer

Finally, Oliver at age 2 could not be loved more by his parents. He’s changed our lives completely, bringing in new feelings of love and happiness that could never be replicated. We love him so much. Oliver, at age 2, makes us happy and proud. We can’t wait to take part in the rest of his life.