Layton's 2 Year Check Up

I took Layton to the doctor today and we got a great report.  He is still a BIG boy and seems to be developing like he should.  Here are his stats:

34 lbs. 90th percentile

37 inches tall 93rd percentile

He is wearing mostly 3T clothes now and a size 8 1/2 - 9 shoe

Some things I want to remember about this stage Layton is in:

He is extremely attached to me right now.  He will hardly go outside with daddy if I’m not going too which is a new thing.  He is constantly asking me “mom hold me” or "mom carry me" and he is a big kid.  I love that he wants to be around me all the time but it is also very exhausting.  If I don’t hold him then he wants to walk along side me and hold my hand.  I know some day I will wish he was back in this stage so I’m enjoying it.

He tries to discipline the dogs.  He was trying to put Roscoe in time out last night and decided he needed a spanking.  The poor dogs just lay there and let him mess with them.  I guess he knows the dogs are the only thing he can kind of control so he is constantly trying to ride them or sit on them.  He also enjoys “crashing” his big wheels into them when they are trying to sleep.  I think the dogs like that he is very interested in them and at least they are very patient with him.

Layton is really into fixing things right now.  His little mind is constantly trying to figure out how things are put together so he can see how they work.  He gets this from his daddy.  He is constantly telling us “I change the tire on my car” and “the trailer is broken so I need to fix it.”  He got some tools for his birthday and he has had more fun playing with them and pretending to fix things around the house.

He loves to haul stuff around.  We bought him the little tikes trailer that goes behind his cozy coupe car and he has been hauling stuff around in it.

He always prays for us before dinner now and he tells us “mommy, daddy close your eyes so I can pray.”  He can be a little bossy at times.  J  He learned a little prayer at school and he says it in the quietest sweetest little voice.  

He loves to sing every night before he goes to sleep.  We always sing a few songs and he knows the words to a lot of songs now.  I think his all time favorite would be “The Wheels on the Bus.”  I have a children’s cd in my car that has this on it and he is constantly asking for “I want to hear go round and round song.”  The other day he was singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider and he got to the part where it says “washed the spider out” and he said “wash the spider out with daddy’s pressure washer.”  Clifton and I couldn’t stop laughing.  He loves all of daddy’s equipment and toys and knows the difference between a regular chainsaw and a pole saw and he will correct you.

He knows that Papa drives a Ford truck and daddy has a Dodge truck and will point out trucks on the road and tell us whether or not it is a Ford or a Dodge.  I can still remember my brother’s doing this growing up.

His favorite little t.v. show we let him watch is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  On Friday and Saturday mornings since I’m home with him we usually watch an episode while we get breakfast ready.

Every kind of ball right now is a basketball and he loves his basketball goal that Aunt Amanda and Uncle Jerrod bought him.  Maybe we have a future basketball player on our hands.

Lately taking him out to eat at a restaurant has not been fun.  He used to be so easy to take out but not so much anymore.  He tries to get out of the high chair and we have tried a booster seat and climbs out of it.  He is very inpatient about waiting for food and is constantly asking to sit in mommy’s lap.  He gets very distracted at restaurants and doesn’t eat as well so for now we are trying to avoid taking him out.  Eating at home with a toddler is just so much easier.  I really hope he grows out of this phase because I always enjoyed eating out after church on Sundays but he is usually so tired after church that it is a big struggle and not worth it to me.

He is becoming very independent now and wants to do everything by himself.  It is frustrating when I'm in a hurry but he will throw a huge fit if I don't let him try to do things on his own.  He has been trying to dress himself but of course he can't figure it out yet.  Little things like climbing into the bathtub he has to do without mommy's help.  He always wants to open and close the doors now too.  He likes to brush his own teeth and comb his own hair now.

I spent several hours tonight looking at old pictures and wow he has grown up fast.  Here he is at 1 day old.

 On his 1st birthday last year.

At the zoo with mommy last year on his birthday.

 His 2nd birthday at the beach in Rockport.

 Layton,

Your daddy and I are so blessed to have you in our lives.  You keep us laughing and on our toes all the time.  I cherish every day we have with you.  You are so much fun at this age and I wish I could stop time and just enjoy this phase but I know there are more fun things to come as you learn new things.  You are such a happy little toddler and I pray that you always have that same sweet spirit.  You are so full of energy all the time and I love being your mommy.  I'm so excited to see how you grow and change in the next year.

I love you so so much Layton!!!
Mommy