Noah's 24 Month Update
Noah,
At 22 months you weighed 25 pounds and 9 ounces. The only reason we know this is because you had your first febrile seizure and were weighed at the hospital. How did we get so lucky to have two kids with seizures? We praise God that Sophia hasn’t had one in over two years and are praying that this first one is also your last.
You’re able to understand what being gentle with your hands means and soft with your voice. It doesn’t mean you always listen; you sure do love being loud wherever you go. You’re still dancing any time music is playing. Your favorite song to dance to (and sing) is the Oompa Loompa song from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The climbing phase has begun: climing on chairs, the couch, and you can even crawl on top of the table; like sister, like brother.
Any time we arrive somewhere in the car, you say “we’re home” or “we’re here” with the exact inflections that I use. You are also really good at saying “good morning” and “I love you.” When I ask for a kiss, you almost always lean in for one.
I love when Sophia asks If you want to play with her and you say, “ya.” You want to copy everything Sophia does. If she does a cool trick, you try to do one as well. If she yells loudly, you do too. I pray that your relationship with each other only continues to grow.
In July, you got your first big-boy haircut, and now you look so grown up. I did save a lock of your hair for memory’s sake.
We started planting and watering our flowers and tomatoes. You love carrying the watering can back and forth between the water spicket and the flowers. I love how the simple day-to-day tasks bring you so much joy. We are trying to enjoy the weather as much as we can so, when possible, Monday evenings we will walk to the park; and Friday mornings we bike Sophia to school and then go on a short ride before heading home.
We have this neat book that talks about differnet Portland landmarks and we are hoping to explore some of them this summer. To kick off the list, we went to Powell’s book store where you and Sophia really enjoyed looking at all the books. Not in the book, but we still visited, was Wailua Shave Ice and Shake Shack.
Next on our summer bucket list was visitng the Portland Dog Bowl (which sadly, was removed) and seeing the mama and baby elephant statues. Of course we had to take some photos with the book.
Grammy Penny came for her annual Spring visit and we had a blast, as always. We got to play at the park; attend Sophia’s preschool art show; eat and play at Chick-Fil-A; and play at Play Forest (a kid’s play center), which inspired me to make our side yard a kid play area. We now have a sandbox, outdoor play kitchen, small swimming pool, and a water table. Soon, I’d like to put our patio table and chairs out there so we can enjoy some meals this summer.
One of the items on our summer bucket list was to go to the beach. We checked this off on Memorial Day, by heading to Cannon Beach, OR. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as busy as we were expecting, which was a win! We stoped at a candy store where you got jelly beans and Sophia got a mini gumball machine. After eating lunch at Public Coast Brewery, we played in the sand and water. You both loved it!
June 15-22 we vacationed to Rhinelander, WI, which is where your Great Grandma Joyce lives. This was the first time you got to meet her and you two became best friends.
Saturday - June 15: The flight to Minneapolis went really smooth. You and Sophia both fell asleep on Daddy and I got to enjoy some kid-freespace. :P The flight was a succes for us, but the lady in front of us was annoyed. After we landed, we rented a car and drove to Rhinelander, arriving at 2 AM.
Sunday - June 16: Daddy and I slept in since Sophia was up about 10 times in the early morning. Grammy and Grandpa watched you two so we could get some extra rest. Grandma Joyce came over in the afternoon and met you for the first time. Since it was Father’s day, we celebrated with a BBQ and ice cream cake. You have the BEST Daddy!
Tuesday - June 18: We got into a routine where we would do our own thing in the morning, put you and Sophia down for a nap, and then Grandma Joyce would come over to visit in the l ate afternoon. Our Rhinelander tradition is to eat at the local Mexican restaurant. The past few years, I haven’t been able to indulge in the large fishbowl margarita becaue I’ve either been pregnant or breastfeeding, but this was my year!
Friday - June 21: Grammy and Grandpa babysat you two, so Daddy and I could go on a date for our 10 year anniversary. This evening we had pizza with Grandma Joyce, Brandon and Dana, and had to say our goodbyes. I think everyone really enjoyed getting to know you!
Saturday - June 22: We packed up and drove back to Minneapolis. Our flight was delayed (fortunately), so we had just enough time to eat Chick-Fil-A. Then we sat on the airplane for an hour waiting to take off. We saw probably 10 airplanes behind us waiting for their turn. You were having a rough time and screamed and cried for a good 20 minutes. You wanted to get off my lap and walk around so badly. Finally, you settled down and both of you slept for a little bit. We were so glad to be home after a fun-filled vacation. Until next time, Rhinelander!
Monday - June 17: I had a lot of work to finish up (fiscal-year-end), so Daddy and Grammy and took you to the library and the park for lunch.
Wednesday - June 19: Daddy and I took you both to the Northwood’s Children’s Museum. It was so much fun seeing you two explore all the new activities.
Thursday - June 20: Our airbnb was right by the lake, so we played at the beach in the morning and then said goodbye to Grandpa Jim. Throughout the visit, you were really fascinated with Grandma Joyce’s hair, and loved touching it.
3 days after we returned from Wisconsin, I left for a work trip in Boston. Grammy Penny went with me and we stayed a few extra days to explore. Grandma Karen came to Portland to help daddy care for you and Sophia. To show you and Sophia that I was thinking of you, I prepared a present for each day that I was gone. There were a few treats, toys, and tickets to the Zoo. Grandma Karen thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend some quality time with you.
When I returned, and Grandma Karen left, it was your summer break from daycare. I still had to work a little bit, but I made sure we had time for fun. We enjoyed free lunch at the park; spent time at the zoo with friends; celebrated The 4th of July; and went marionberry picking.
To finish off this letter, we celebrated your 2nd birthday by attending a "touch a truck" event (you were scared of all the loud horns), eating cake, and playing with balloons. The next day we went to the park and splash pad with some friends to celebrate some more. You don't quite know the happy birthday song, but when we sing "happy birthday," you then say "to you."
God knew we needed a Noah in our family and we can't imagine our life without you. What a blessing you are!
Love,
Mom and Dad
