2 years and 2 months

I am very late writing this post and I didn't even get any pictures around the 29th (when Neil's birthday is). This will have fewer pictures than usual and be a bit shorter. I'd really like to keep up the monthly posts though so I'm trying to continue it.

Neil really loves reading and has shown that he is very good at memorizing, just like his mom. He knows his books by heart, and we are surprised at how many he knows and the fact that he also learns them very quickly. When we borrow books from the library he can say the words on the page even though we haven't had the book very long, especially for the books he likes. I can't believe how well he does at this, even remembering multiple sentences on a page just based on the pictures. If I didn't know better I would swear at times that he's reading.

Speaking of the library, he loves going to the library. He likes to pick out books to read (both there and to bring home for a few weeks at a time) as well as all the activities they have- a train table, an area for coloring, an area with puzzles, etc. I've also started borrowing DVDs and CDs, which gives us some variety. (We have been getting tired of hearing the same CD over and over on the drive to and from daycare.)

Neil also takes after me in that he likes to organize and put things in order. I bought 4-5 different vitamins and left them on the dining room table. When I walked back in the room, he had pulled them out of the bag and lined them up very carefully from smallest to biggest. I'm just glad he didn't try to open any of them, he likes his vitamin when I give it to him. He also tends to pull down videos and/or DVDs and he will line them up on the floor very carefully.

Potty training wise, with Nathan being born that's taken a back burner. I haven't been able to help with Neil upstairs because I'm limited from going up and down a bunch of times, but before Nathan was born Neil was peeing on the potty chair every night as part of the bedtime routine and I am pretty sure that has continued. He did pee more than he is now, and at daycare sometimes they let him sit on the toilet. But I think daycare does it after they change his diaper and they haven't said that he's ever actually gone.

Neil's vocabulary is still really good and he speaks in full sentences pretty clearly, most of the time. Temper tantrums are even worse, especially since Nathan has been born. I think that's more for wanting attention than anything else but the combination of terrible two's and a new baby taking attention way is not fun at all. I haven't been able to pick Neil up since Nathan was born, but thankfully Neil can now climb up onto most furniture on his own although he would prefer being helped.

Neil also seems to be adjusting at daycare. He even found a friend who has a drumset! He mentions that friend fairly frequently, as well as the two main teachers.

Neil still uses his pacifier at night although after initially falling asleep I don't think he touches it from what we can tell. (Side note, he also seems to like to sleep sideways in his toddler bed with his legs hanging off the bed. I have no idea how that's even comfortable.)

Once again, I'm leaving the stats off this post because nothing has changed and I didn't take any measurements. I will be better next month!!! Hopefully by then I'll be going up and down the stairs more, which will give me some more time at the computer.