Happy 2nd Birthday, Thatcher Arie!

Our little T-bear is officially a toddler now.  He definitely thinks he is ready to be a "big boy".  Here's a little bit about what's going on with T lately:

- First and foremost, this boy is a mover.  If he's not asleep, he's on the move.  He never stops for more than a few seconds.  He's ALWAYS running, jumping, climbing, etc.  He loves to run back and forth from the front door to the kitchen -- apparently for no reason at all.  He also runs like a crazy person -- just all-out with no restraint at all.  Every time I see him run (and it's a LOT), I'm amazed that he manages to stay upright and not crash.

- I love the way he says his name -- "Tatcherr Awie".  I love how he says pretty much anything -- his little voice always sounds so adorable.

- He loves his big brother, and tries to do everything Grayson does. But for some odd reason (no one can figure out why), he calls Grayson "Thatcher".  He'll call everyone else by their real names, and he he knows HIS name is Thatcher, but Gray is "Thatcher", too.  Even when he's tattling on Grayson -- "Tatcher hit, Mommy!" We've tried everything we know of to get him to say the right name, but he is very insistent.  No clue what that's about.

- He is so darn CUTE! Everything he does is adorable -- his little voice is so cute, his smile is so sweet -- even his tantrums are adorable to me.  I love this age! :)

- He can count to 12 by himself -- sometimes skipping 'eight', but mostly getting it right.  He can also name most of the colors correctly, and all the ABC's with help.

- He's a talker.  Most people would be surprised to hear this, since he rarely talks when there are other people around.  But if he's comfy, he'll talk your ear off. He's very good at sentences and large words -- he surprises me with things he says sometimes.

- His most often-used phrase right now is "Watch, Mommy!" and he'll keep repeating it until I respond that I am watching.  He does it for everything -- jumping off a pillow, swinging a sword, bending down and hopping forward.  And he looks so pleased every time -- I love it!  Another phrase he uses a lot is "What's that guy doin'?"

- T loves books - his favorites right now are "The Hiccupotamus" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?".  We have to read both of them at least twice a day.  I've even heard him reciting parts of "The Hiccupotamus" in his sleep.  And I can recite the whole thing from memory.

- He loves cars -- the toys and the Disney movies.  He also loves real cars, and tells me everyday he wants to "Go bye-bye in the car!"

- He loves to watch Yo Gabba Gabba, Blue's Clues, Wreck it Ralph, Shaun the Sheep, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  He also loves to watch Grayson play Skylanders -- which is good, because it happens a lot.

- When we sing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm", he makes every animal say "Mooo".

- He loves music, dancing, and singing most of the time, but when I start singing and he doesn't want me to, he'll sternly say "MOMMY." in a very irritated voice until I stop.

- He's the skinniest little dude on the planet.  The boy weighs 21 pounds, guys.  He's hard to dress, because he's so tall that any pants that are long enough just fall right off his bum. Which is so weird, because...

- He loves to eat.  He's such a good eater, and will usually try new foods without complaining at all.  He gets very enthusiastic about it when he likes what he's eating, too -- he'll nod his head in a big exaggerated movement, and say "Mmmm hmmm!"  His favorite foods right now are muffins ("muppins!"), cheese (any kind -- give him a piece of string cheese and he acts like you gave him a huge ole' cookie -- he bends at the waist and hops once with a big smile on his face), macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, bananas, and apples. Also, anything Grayson is eating -- if Gray has something, T needs it, too.

- He still loves his binkies -- he has two that are attached to two small binky blankets, and he has to carry them around with him.  I don't think I'm ever getting those things away from him!

- He calls our dog "Onnie" (his name is Ollie), and frequently scolds him when he barks.  "No, Onnie.  No bark. Bad, Onnie!"  Again, it's adorable in his tiny little voice.

- The other day when I went in his room first thing in the morning, he smiled at me and said "Hi, Mommy.  Nice to see you!"

- He refers to my growing baby belly as it's own entity -- "Hi Mommy! Hi Mommy tummy!".

- He is such a snuggler, and I love it!  He always has to be on TOP of me, though, when he snuggles.  He's running out of room.  :)

- His beautiful blonde curls are gone now.  It's so very sad to me.  He just gets one little curly wave right in front on his forehead.

- He is loved beyond belief.  Everyone that knows this little guy can't help but just LOVE him.  Especially his momma ;)

Here are some pictures from his birthday party at my mom's house.  It was a small event -- just us, my parents, my brother and family, and Steve's parents.  But T had a great time.  My mom bought him a Lightning McQueen Cars cake from her very talented friend Holli Speechly, and he LOVED it.