Happy 2nd Birthday, Flint!

On October 20th, William Flint made it to the 2-year mark! We are seriously a little stumped at how this has happened so quickly, and how our baby boy has so rapidly become a little boy. I mean, he definitely looks the part, but when you add in the personality and his language development, it's nothing short of amazing! It's a little saddening to think of how fast it's all going, but I can't help but feel impressed, too, at how much this kid's spongy brain has soaked in over the last year.

You may recall from previous posts and brags that I get super excited about language milestones. Flint is at a place, now, where if he doesn't already know a word for something, he can ask and repeat just about anything. He is stringing complex sentences together like a pro, and inflecting like he's been at it for years, even though his "years" have only recently been pluralized. Typical phrases of his are requests like, " I want orange juice please, Mommy," and responses like, "No. Not eating lunch. I play trains, Mommy." He also initiates a lot of two-sided conversations that somehow seem far more one-sided, because he basically offers me questions that he'd like me to ask him, like:
Flint: "Where's Lyla, Mommy?"
Me: "I don't know, Flint. Where is Lyla?"
Flint: "Lyla at school, Mommy."

Another recent milestone -- the potty. *cue hallelujah music* Really, we are only just starting to get serious about this, but he's been interested in it for probably eight months, or so. He's been going pee when placed on the potty almost 100% of the time since 18 months, but knowing that was too early to get cracking on it, we've sort of just let it be an occasional thing to celebrate. More recently, however, we started going diaperless and just letting him roam around naked. The first day was just sort of a whim, where I just kind of neglected to put a clean diaper on him after going to change him... but it was a pleasant whim, as he used his mini-potty all morning long, and would simply come inform me that he had done so. I think he only had two accidents by the end of the day. The following day, we had our first poop success story, as well. And, holy-poop-balls, Batman, he was proud of himself! So cute!

On the less impressive side of "2," we have also achieved the more "terrible" end of things. While Flint is able to talk an impressive amount, he's not quite able to communicate proficiently enough to avoid the temper tantrums and sibling spats. Then again, I think that's just going to be the way of the Q World until the end of time. Well, at least the sibling rivalry. Hopefully, by college he'll have stopped throwing himself on the floor to avoid naptime, mealtime, and basically any time that doesn't involve choo-choos and trucks. Here's hoping!

And while this kid may be ahead of the game on a number of skills, eating certainly isn't one of them. Flint, now 2 years old and a vegetarian, remember... has YET to eat a solid vegetable. He will still eat pureed veggies, so we're still stuck on this one until we can somehow convince him that the textures he so fears are totally worth the taste and nutrition (good luck, right?). He would live on cheese sticks, fruit, yogurt and various crunchy simple carbs, if I let him.

For Flint's 2nd birthday, we celebrated at our new home by renting a firetruck bounce house to fit in with his favorite theme of cars, trucks, and things that go. Gia and Pap went in on a train table as a gift from the four of us, and Flint (and sister) are enjoying spending almost 100% of their free time playing with it, fighting over it, taking apart chunks of it and running in circles around it (literally). Luke and I deliberated a long time (typical Q style) on what gift to give him, and we're so happy we ended up with something in which he is completely enthralled!

 

Party day was a blast, complete with "Ready, Set, GO!" decorations, courtesy of Gia (of course), adorable dump-truck cake, courtesy of Gia (of course), mini car cakes, courtesy of Gia (of course) AND Pap, friends and family galore, and tons of bouncing and car/truck/train/bus/things-with-wheels toys to play with. Flint even started warming up to the idea of opening presents, this year, although it was hard to keep opening gift-wrap rather than open the actual gifts to play with!

Playing choo-choos with Gideon!

Flint gives this bounce house a thumbs up!

A view of gift-opening from upstairs!

Crazy cousins!

 

Gideon was very loving when he left. He gave the best BFF kiss ever to Flint. :)

And then the best future boyfriend kiss to Violet. :)

Official 2-year stats per the Doc are:
Height: 35.5 in. (77%)
Weight: 30.6 lbs (78%)
Head: 51 cm (94%)

More photos from Flint's 2nd Birthday are HERE!