2.5 Years Old

Well, since I no longer take the monthly photo sticker photos, I have completely FAILED when it comes to blogging Asher's developmental updates.  He has grown and changed SO much since I posted his 2 year update.

The most noticeable update is his communication.  We were impressed when he would communicate in 5-6 word sentences and now he has progressed to much longer, detailed sentences.  A perfect example is the progression of this sentence:
     Rock hit it, daddy truck.
     Rock hit it, spider web, daddy truck.
     Rock hit daddy truck, make spider web, daddy truck.
     Rock hit it on daddy truck, make spider web on windshield.
(no joke, this is the progression of the sentence over the past 3-4 months.  A rock did in fact his Nicks windshield, and did create a "spiderweb".  Asher has been obsessed with this and tells everyone! Many mornings, that will be the first thing that he tells Nick and I when we go to get him out of his crib)

In April, I started a list on my phone of the different milestones and things that I want to remember. I think that I stopped adding things to it a couple of months ago.  So much of it seems like old news since six months have already passed us by since my last developmental update post.  But here is the list (in no order), with some more recent additions added in!

• Counts-  He can count to ten on most days, and will attempt to get to twenty, but sometimes needs a little help (eleventeen is my favorite)  Not only will he just count the numbers but he will also count his blocks, balls, cars etc.
• Asher knows his colors but will usually tell you that it is pink or green regardless of the color.  When you say, "No, what color is that" he will identify it correctly
• Climbs up the stairs on his feet (instead of knees), all by himself while holding onto the rail or the wall.  He will sometimes walk down the stairs and will  sometimes crawl backwards.
• He sits at the table to eat.  He does not like the highchair or a booster seat.  Sometimes he will sit at the big table with us, sometimes he will sit at his little table, and other most times he sits for a couple of minutes and then is off busy doing something else, stopping back by the table for a bite in between toys.
• He can drink out of a water bottle and out of a cup without a lid (we still use the lid as often as possible). When he drink out of the cup he says "Ah hold it...two hands"
• He will tell us when he has a pee-pee or poopy diaper, but still shows no interest in wanting to use the big boy potty.  He talks about poop a lot. He always asks to see his poop in the diaper and although I'm embarrassed to admit it, he often time will say "I eat poop" after I show him his dirty diaper. 
• He is all BOY.  He talks about his penis and my (or other peoples) boobies more than I would prefer.
• Asher can say most things but will often leave out a letter here or there.  He also has this cute little accent about him...like he will say Hoy instead of Hi.  Some Asherisms and things commonly heard around our house:
• Mommy Help You (when he wants me to help him)
• Ah-tur Did It
• I no like it
• Dwive Daddy truck
• Wun ewands (he is the best little shopping buddy)
• Go harget (He LOVES Target...but really...who doesnt?!)
• Push cart at tader hoes (One of his favorite things to do with Gigi)
• Go to hool...hee Mrs. Jamee
• Night Night Time or Pay Time
• Dat tickle me
• No, Mine, Mommy Stop, Daddy Stop, Linus Hush
• Dwink ah-klet milk, nuggle mommy bed (EVERY SINGLE NIGHT we hear this one)
• My Hot (when someone is sitting in his spot on the bed or couch)
• Watch horge  (watch curious george)
• Oh Man, Oh Nap (snap), Oh Well (used interchangably, and quite often)
• He has always had a love for music but it has really progressed in the last 6 months
• In the car he will ask for Ah-tur tunes or Ah-tur Hongs
• He will sing along to Do-Re-Me, Old Mac Donald and other kids music
• He will fill in the word of the song if we start singing and then stop
• He lays in his crib and sings songs to himself
• He recognizes and tries to sing theme songs from TV
• Dances and shakes his tush whenever the music is on
• Will shout LOUD if he wants the music louder
• If he doesn't like the song will tell us "I dont like dis moosic"
• Most recently started singing "Mommas don't let babies grow up cowboys" commonly refereed to as "cowboy song"
• He notices EVERYTHING
• Recognizes logos of stores and restaurants and calls them out from the car
• Tells me when the light is green or red and when to stop and when to go
• When I am dressed up he will say "Pitty Mommy"
• When I have a pimple he points out "Mommy boo-boo on face"
• Points out various people and tells us if they are a man, lady, boy or girl
• Points to "Ah-turs" doctor when we drive past on our way to Gigi & Poppys
• Grocery shopping has become increasingly difficult since he recognizes and wants everything
• He recognizes various people cars
• When he sees a beer will say "Daddy Be-yah"
• We watch a good bit of TV in our house.  Always in the morning and at night, and usually on the weekends while Nick and I are trying to accomplish things around the house.  But most of the time it is somewhat educational for Asher.  (Mommy Justification: even the ones that are not educational, he is still developing vocabulary from them, because he will say words that I didn't even realize he knew, until we watch the same episode for the 10th time and I realize where he learned that word.)  I love the way that he will laugh when things are funny, repeat specific words and "engage" with the TV when instructed to do so:  Some of his favorites are
• Curious George (still his #1 favorite)
• Doc McStuffins
• Sophia the First
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
• Imagination Movers
• Little Bill
• Dora the Explorer, Calliou and Thomas the Train (although we don't have those on as often because they are ANNOYING)
• Within the last 2 months he has  developed the attention span to sit and watch a movie..maybe not the whole thing, but a good portion of it (usually always on the couch with a snack, covered with a blanket).  Most commonly watched these days are:
• Monsters Inc (his favorite)
• Toy Story
• Finding Nemo
• Wreck it Ralph
• The Incredibles
• It is not always butterflies and rainbows around our house.  He is a sweet, sweet, smart, loving and affectionate little boy but he tests our patience daily, and I do mean TEST and I do mean DAILY.  
• He does not throw tantrums all the time, but when he does they are long and loud and NOTHING we do will console him.  He does not want to be left alone while he screams, he would rather hold on to one of us.  If we walk away he screams harder, louder and longer.
• Every time we get home he gets MAD when we do not let him drive the car or play in the front yard (or if we let him drive and then it is time to stop)
• If he wants attention and Nick and I are talking he will say "top talking, top talking, top talking" until we acknowledge him and tell him that we WILL NOT stop talking
• We went through a really rough time when he was sick and WOULD NOT take his medicine even though we tried two different liquids and chewables
• He will pull toys out and throw them (with no intention of playing with them) to to intentionally to get a rise out of us
• Uses his outside voice inside and when we tell him to use his inside voice he will cover his ears and scream again
• The whining, the whining, the whining.  Cant take the whining.  Just use your big boy words and TELL Me!!!!
• Will not eat or plays with his food instead of eating it, and sometimes even throws it
• Does not want to eat what we are eating and goes to the fridge and stands there contemplating what HE wants to eat (usually something we dont want him to eat)
• He yells and pushes Linus if he gets within 5 feet of him while he is eating
• Some of the basics
• Asher wears size 24 mo or 2T clothes (some of the 2T pants are too big)
• Wears size 4 diapers during the day and size 5 at night
• Takes 1 LONG nap a day (2-3 hours)  He WILL take 2 short ones but one long one seems to work out better
• Goes to bed between 8-9 and will sleep until 7-8 in the morning
• 2 year molars came in within the past 6 months
• Wears foot is a size 7.5 wide (so he is wearing size 8 shoes)

So this was a really long post, with only 1 photo to go with it, but I had to document everything Asher, because I am way overdue.  In retrospect, most of this post is probably filled with more recent things that he is doing but some of it has been going on for quite some time now.  

I am going to try to keep up with the developmental updates...and post on a quarterly basis instead of every six months. So if I do as I intend, then you can expect another one of these posts around the first of the year! But hopefully more frequent, short blog, mini updates throughout.