Two And A Half

Today marks Luke's two-and-a-half year birthday. 

Not so long ago this age seemed like a big milestone. That's because, one day before Luke turned two, we were at the playground and I saw a kid climbing the play structure like a pro and talking in full sentences, communicating clearly with his mom. I asked his age and when she said two-and-a-half I was surprised, thinking that he seemed so mature. Though Luke was climbing at that time, he needed close spotting. And he only said a few words, far from the master communicator this playground kid was. I remember thinking that two-and-a-half wasn't that far away for Luke, so apparently A LOT of learning and growing needed to take place in that time.

Well, what do you know: Luke has reached that 2.5 mark and he is climbing tall buildings in a single bound (practically) and communicating/ understanding better than I had previously thought possible for a kid at this age. I'm probably cursing myself by writing this, but he also seems to be phasing out of the Terrible Two behavior. Of course, he was an early adopter, starting the tantrums, etc. at 18 months, so we've put in a year of managing the crazy. Oh, he still has his moments...or days, even. I'm just saying that, as an example, we no longer have to endure physical and emotional distress putting him in the car seat, and we don't have to lock him in his room at bedtime anymore. Two big wins! At two-and-a-half he also looks more mature. Take a look...

Last December:

...and now (well, a few weeks ago...he's still really resistant to having his photo taken. Maybe that eases up at age 3?):

So, happy two-and-a-half little man! We can't believe how far you've come in such a short time!