George is two and a half!

These have been some pretty big 6 months.  The last time we blogged, you were still my baby; Benjamin wasn't born yet, and the pace of our lives seemed slower - more peaceful.

So much has changed since then.  You quickly went from my being my baby to a big boy, and with that transition came understandable emotion.  Since the day you turned two, you've been a more emotional person; quick to cry, angering easily, and feeling misunderstood.  This breaks my heart, but we are working through it and every day I feel I'm able to better understand you.  Both the person you are, and the things you wish us to understand.

As I joke with Grandpa, "the Serb is strong with this one"

This strong willed, stubborn determination is a trait of mine as well.  At times misunderstood, I promise to do my best to understand and listen to you.

You're my G: a sweet, caring, emotional ball of energy, and I hope you spend each year knowing how uniquely precious and extremely important you are to me.

***

We celebrated your big day with cupcakes after dinner tonight.  You and Sissy were both so excited to be celebrating something...anything.  (party animals, you are!)  I'm pretty sure you thought it was your actual birthday (I mean, why would you think anything else), while Sissy grappled with the concept of "halves" for most the evening.

Here's what's new (and funny!) these past 6 months:

• You call chicken (and most meat) "bak bak".  A vegetarian you are not.
• You love eggs, raisins, oranges (that you insist on peeling yourself), any and all meat proteins, vitamins, applesauce, and frozen fruit.
• Per your insistence, I get you a pack of fruit snacks every morning at the gym.  Our bill hasn't been cheap.
• When angry, you've started saying, "Mama, no! Fah no!"  We're still wagering bets on what "fah" means...  ;)
• You love jumping off the couch, playing nap time with Sissy, hide and seek, stomp rocket, and trains (anything to do with trains!)
• You love princess dress up
• We finally weaned you off your bottle obsession.  We simply stopped buying milk; this was an easier transition than we ever expected.
• You and Sissy now share a room and you love it
• You've finally taken an interest in reading.  Your favorites are Pet the Cat; Goodnight Already (this one cracks you up!); The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, And the Big Hungry Bear; and, I Am a Bunny
• You are Abigail's best bud, and Benjamin's idol.
• You insist on riding in Sissy's booster seat and make her sit in your car seat.  This isn't the safest thing I've let you do... and you're lucky you have such a tolerant older sister.
• You love giving 'Beh Beh' (as you call your little brother) big, smothering hugs
• Abigail has adopted a new nickname from you, too: 'Tis'.  You say it more like "dis", but Tis has stuck (we refer to her by that, and she replies to it with ease).  A nicknaming family we are.
• We seriously play choo-choos all day, every day!

I love you to pieces, GG Boy!

Happy two and a half.