Camp is Two and a Half!

I can't believe that my little guy has reached another big milestone! He turned 2 and a half yesterday on May 11, 2014. I had definitely intended to celebrate his "half birthday" with a cupcake, but it was Mother's Day so that plan got a little lost with the rest of the festivities. We still had a great day because we got to go to church, have lunch, and enjoy presents and park time with my mom (Camp's Nonna)! I'm still wanting that cupcake so we'll try to celebrate the Campster today :-) (Update: We got cupcakes tonight after dinner! Camp had to have the "blue" one.)

Here's an update on what my cutie has been up to lately:

Personality:
This kid is a hoot. He has me laughing all day long (when I'm not pulling out my hair) at the funny things he does or says.  He loves his "friends." Friends can be buddies we play with all the time or anyone under 12 who looks fun to him. He especially loves older and younger girls. He calls them "my ladies." He has a sweet and tender side with babies, so we are lucky for that and hope it carries over to Savvie. Camp thinks he is a rockstar and loves to get the attention from putting on "shows." He gets upset when he waves or says hello to those who pass by and doesn't get a return greeting. He loves, loves, loves his daddy. "Wanna hang out with me Daddy," is a common phrase around here. While he is no perfect angel, Camp is mostly well-behaved. He knows how to push our buttons and charm his way into a lot of stuff we would normally say no to, but most days he is polite and listens to us. He is scared of spankings now so he'll do almost anything to avoid them. He repeats a lot of phrases he hears on tv or what his daddy says, so we definitely have a mini parrot on our hands.

With his birthday buddy, Luke, at Lilly's 1st birthday party in Columbia

Size:
Camp weighs about 36 pounds. I'm guessing he is about 38 or 39 inches tall. He wears some size 2T and mostly 3T clothes. The last time we got his feet measured, he needed an 8.5 shoe.

Easter 2014

Development:
He is potty trained day and night! It was a very short process for my quick learner. We did a three day boot camp, and he was potty trained during waking hours after that. Not too much longer, and he could stay dry during naps. A few weeks later, and we dropped the pull ups at nighttime. It's so nice to say bye-bye to diapers, at least until baby sister arrives.  There have been a few accidents but they are usually pretty minor, and we keep spare clothes with us at all times!

Camp speaks in complete sentences and will talk your head off! He likes to say his own prayers at nighttime and mealtime. He has also started making up songs to sing. He knows a lot of the letters and wants to count everything.

His newest trick is a somersault! He loves to run, dance, and do his "exercises."

Sleep:
Since moving to his big boy bed earlier this year, he has started waking up earlier. He usually gets up between 6:15 and 6:45 am. He still take a great nap around 2 pm. He naps for 2.5-3 hours, and it is marvelous. He goes to bed anytime between 8 and 9 pm. He talks a little in his sleep and sometimes cries out, but he usually sleeps through the night. He is afraid of monsters, wants to have the hall light on and his door cracked when he sleeps. We think he is a mastermind of bedtime stall tactics: "I need my baby doll," "Close the closet doors," "Sing me a song," etc. 

Eating:
Camp has definitely improved in eating more of a variety of foods. He has opened up to more fruits, especially watermelon, and he will eat some other vegetables when there is a prize (like something sweet or more bread) at the end. He still is not interested at all in hamburgers or strawberries! He loves his milk and water, but I have still held off on offering juice. One of his favorite treats is a milkshake :-)

Fun and Games:
We recently took Camp to Riverbanks Zoo for his first real zoo experience! He was not as impressed as I had hoped, but it was successful overall. He mostly wanted to eat snacks and ride the carousel. Later, he did talk about the animals we saw with excitement.

FISH FACE!

Now that it's warming up, he loves to swim at the pool or play at the splash pad. Being outside is still at the top of his list, but it's definitely getting too hot for me already! He really enjoys tennis, t-ball/baseball, soccer, frisbee, riding his outdoor toys, bubbles, and scaring mommy to death by getting as close to the road as he can.

Camp has a great imagination and loves dramatic play. He is often making up new recipes, having "phone" conversations, and building castles out of blocks/crates/brownie mix boxes.


Dear Camp,
I love you so much, my little man. I can't believe that you will be a big brother soon! You are going to be the best big brother to Baby Savvie. We are going to have so much fun together. As of now, you are very excited and even tell God thank you for your baby sister in your goodnight prayers. You are sweet and hilarious, especially when you say the word hilarious. You care about others' feelings and always try to make people feel better. You love your baby doll and your blankets, and you carry them around the house with you all day. Lately, you have been really good about brushing your teeth so that makes me super happy. When I ask you to help put away your clothes or shoes, you do it. You are starting to be very helpful with cleaning up toys, getting your own breakfast, and even helping to empty the bathroom trash cans! Thank you for making me a mommy and opening my heart so wide. I love you more than all the sleep, donuts, and pizza in the world!
Love,
Mommy