2 Year Check Up

We went to see Dr. Xu last week for Aaron's 2 year check up. He won't officially be 2 for a couple more weeks, but we wanted to get in before school starts again.

Aaron is 35 inches long and weighs 25 pounds---still tall and thin. :) He is still in the 95th percentile for his head size. :)

He says 3, 4, and 5 word sentences consistently, he can count to 10 alone and has pretty consistent 1:1 correspondence. He repeats the ABC's and their sounds. And he adorably sings "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Row Row Row Your Boat". He can run, jump with two feet and go up and down stairs on his own. He loves to blow bubbles, fingerpaint, and paint with watercolors.

He is still signing a lot, but he definitely talks more than he signs---partially my fault because my signs are limited. When he sees me do a sign he doesn't know, he stops and asks me to show him with his hands. Sometimes he asks me for signs that I don't know. Then we look it up online or ask our friend Jen. When I sign to him without talking, he understands what I am saying but sometimes he covers his eyes so I will talk at the same time as I sign. :)

We are very excited that he is now saying his own name correctly. At the start of the summer he only would sign his name. Midway through he started calling himself "Nannan" as he signed. Just this last week he has started calling himself "Aaron" as he signs his name.

Leland and I are now working hard to STOP talking in the 3rd person. Apparently talking in the 1st person is a developmental benchmark... better start modeling for Aaron. It is shockingly hard for us not to start sentences, "Mommy is going to...." or "Daddy wants to...." etc. We have some work to do!

Aaron is still doing well in the potty department. Usually 1 diaper a day---at night time. Although lately he has chosen diapers over underwear even though he will still potty in the toilet. I think he is slowing down a bit in that department because of the progress he has made in the nursing department. And that is the most exciting news of all----Aaron is weaned! Just 3 and a half weeks shy of his 2nd birthday. There were no tears. He was totally ready.

Birthday pics to come in a few weeks!

Aaron Counts to 10

I told Aaron I needed him to push the button on the food processor 10 times. He promptly counted 1 through 10 perfectly on his own. I grabbed the camera and asked him to do it again. Of course, with the camera ready, he kept missing his 2. But it is still adorable!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyBnNqNvmfc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI3F1fcOKbk

Zoo Videos

Aaron drumming at the zoo today...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVAY3noF3fE

Aaron's very favorite part of the zoo---the waterfall with the fish...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg0EF2gVocE

Zoo.2

We had a great time with Gaga, Papa, and Guncle at the zoo today.

Aaron loved exploring, climbing and petting.

Aaron chose Gorilla as his latest addition to the stuffed friends collection. He walked around the zoo for nearly 4 hours. He ALMOST made it to the exit on foot.

At the Park

We had a fun Saturday at Bush Park.

Videos

Here are some links to videos of Aaron being cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY3PEqUTmhg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9AMCJYrmuY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg_9MJl_w6k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXdfJXwgCOs

Aquarium

Today we decided to escape the 95+ heat by heading to Newport to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. It was nice and cool there---64 degrees! Aaron even needed a jacket.


Aaron loved the Aquarium right away. He saw seals and sea lions.

He was mesmerized by the walk-through tunnels filled with fish, sharks, sting rays and eels.

But it was quickly decided that the otter was his favorite attraction. He liked how the otter could float on his back so well---something Aaron practices in swim class. We found the perfect stuffed otter in the gift shop. Otter and Aaron made fast friends, and Otter went everywhere with Aaron for the rest of the day.

He found a fish sculpture.

And kissed him on the lips.

After some inital concern over being bitten...

He touched sea stars and sea anemones. But he did not appreciate the anemones touching him back.

We checked on the otter again before we left. He was still floating on his back.

It was a fun day! And Otter is fast asleep with Aaron as I type.

Photographer's Apprentice

Aaron snatched my hem ha (camera) out of my purse when he was in a shopping cart the other day. He figured out how to turn it on and take some pics. He's working on his craft.

Misery and Art

We think it's allergies bothering Aaron. He can't breathe through his nose, or SLEEP, and he has a cough, runny eyes and a runny nose. He is already on Zyrtec once a day for previous nighttime breathing problems. This is additional. He is so miserable. Which means WE are so miserable. :)

Here is Aaron two days ago before he was feeling so crummy. He had just discovered the vegetable steamer. He picked it up, opened it and said "raining" and held it over his head.

Then the allergies attacked and I found myself... alone... all day... with a sleep-deprived, CRANKY toddler. So we headed out to the store (an adventure in itself) and we bought new art supplies. Once home, we had a lovely peaceful 90 minutes of art time. We played with PlayDo, used watercolors for the first time, glued shapes onto a paper and decorated it (something he does with Susie), and drank wine. Well... the wine part was just me. Aaron had LOTS of fruit juice laced with an herbal antihistamine (thanks Susie and Tina).

To be clear...he is having FUN in these pics. He kept saying "fun today!" and "rinse your brush" and "fresh water please". It's the allergies making him look so miserable. I swear.

Wedding

Uh Tad (Uncle Chad) and Aunt Kristin got married last night at their house in North Portland. Aaron was the ring bearer. We were on "keep the toddler clean and happy" duty, so we didn't take many pics. Gaga took these two practice shots before the photographer did the family photos. We will post more pics when we get them from Chad and Kristin.

Aaron did a great job getting the rings to the best man.

Here are two links to Aaron dancing at the reception. In the first one he is dancing with his two uncles. In the second one he is dancing with Guncle (Uncle Kevin) and apparently doing the worm. Not sure where that came from...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nMASPgE_5w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wld4XPmf1Hc