life with max: 2.5 years old!
My favorite little babe in the universe is two-and-a-half years old! Today! How is this even possible?
I adore him so freaking much. Still, even 2.5 years later, I want to spend every single moment with him. It hasn’t changed. Even in the moments of his tantrums and meltdowns, the minute they pass I want to snuggle and cuddle and just be with him all the time!
Obviously this isn’t possible (or normal? haha), but I seriously soak up every single second we spend together. Even though the time is going super fast, it feels like we are doing so many fun things and having such a blast every day.
It feels like nothing is new and at the same time, everything is new. He is a little human! He speaks in full sentences (non-stop, he nevvvvver stops talking) and tells tons of stories, is slightly dramatic (um where does he get that?), loves to run and play outside and loves to read constantly. I’m unapologetically obsessed with him. So I’m just going to ramble on and on, like I usually do. Now you know exactly why I don’t send these posts through an RSS feed…
A few months ago, Max started just randomly looking at me multiple times a day and going “I love you mama!” He says it so much and so often which is amazing and I just melt. Probably because I say it 56 times a day. He is such a lovable little chunk!
This is going to sound ridiculous and like the most “mom” thing ever, but I feel like Max is the most perfect combination of independent and loving at this age. He is so independent and loves to play with others the most, but also plays so well on his own. He is SO into playing outside and playing at 100% intensity at the time. He doesn’t want to be interrupted or bothered and when he’s playing with other kids, he NEVER wants to stop.
At the same time, when he wants mama and wants to snuggle, he’s the most snuggly and cuddly bug ever. He still loves to be held, loves to cuddle, always asks for “kisses and smooches” and is so freaking sweet. He still loves to be with us and even loves to be held a lot. It’s the most wonderful thing ever!
One of the things we struggle with the most DAILY is that I cannot get this child to put on clothes, change his diaper, go outside, leave the house, etc without the most HILARIOUS running/giggling/”chase me!” game. I mean, it’s kind of fun and it is also adorable and I love that he is so giddy and happy all the time, but every.single.thing we have to do is a chase and it takes forever to do everything! It’s not a tantrum, but he thinks it’s a game. And it eats up so much time!
Luckily, this doesn’t impact us time-wise much because you guys know that I’m a psycho who has to arrive a very unfashionably 30 minutes early everywhere I go. I basically spend half of my life sitting in cars, waiting to go to places on time instead of so early that I appear freakish. Max hasn’t changed this because now I just start getting us ready even earlier when we go somewhere! But maaaan is it exhausting have to run and chase him in a fit of giggles just to wipe his hands or get him dressed or anything. Super funny.
We haven’t had to deal much with major tantrums, although as I say this right now, last week was a little bit of a doozy. He has minor meltdowns over things he wants to do himself, often whining “no! Max does it!” and the occasional flip out if he wants to wear different shoes than the ones I put on his feet. We’ve been so lucky and really only deal with tantrums and fits when his molars have been coming in and whoa, that is rough! We didn’t deal with any of that with teething before – obviously since he wasn’t a toddler yet and well, I was still nursing and that was the best calming effect ever!
Max is still in a bit of a picky phase with eating. I don’t worry about it because the doctor said the best thing to me last year – that he will have hungry days and non-hungry days, and on the hungry days, just cram in all the fruits and veggies that we can! That’s what we do. But on some days he only eats peanut butter toast, bananas, smoothies, yogurt and crackers.
Since the moment he was born, I have obviously been cooking tons of different things since it’s my job. I did everything I possibly could to ward off the toddler picky phase and it still came to visit. I get TONS of questions about this and my answer is to not stress. As long as I’m constantly offering him the GOOD food every day, I don’t stress over it and hope it will pass. In our favorites later this week, I’ll throw in a few of our favorite foods. In general for smoothies though, we do kefir, harmless harvest coconut water, tons of greens, hydrated chia, some liquid omegas, frozen fruit like organic blueberries, peaches, etc, coconut oil and maybe even a small piece of an apple (though he usually will eat apple slices daily). He loves smoothies and I do find that with most foods, as long as I offer them to him consistently, he will eventually get on board!
One funny thing is that he hates dips. He hates to be messy, so dipping things in ketchup, hummus, etc isn’t even an option. He doesn’t even like butter on his bread!
As far as the new baby coming, I feel like he sort of gets it… but doesn’t fully. Of course. He knows there is a baby in my belly and if you ask him to kiss it, he runs up and grabs me and smashes his face into my stomach. He still only says I’m having a girl (which I’m STILL convinced is because my SIL is having a girl, and he knows that!), that he is going to name her “Pink” or “Purple”?!?! and he gets super adorably and giggly when we talk about sharing things with his brother or sister.
So! Fun things we are doing this summer. We have our normal classes, like music and swim and then we also have our annual zoo pass, but some stuff I’m super excited about are the camps I’ve signed Max up for. He’s doing some camps at the zoo and then also at Phipps Conservatory which I think will be so, so fun. He is also going to start soccer soon (and maaaaybe learn-to-skate, but I think that is in the winter!) and I just cannot wait.
I’ve got a lot of questions about school and since Max will only be 2 in the fall, he will not start preschool. In fact, kids around us rarely start until 3 and even 4. I didn’t even realize that 2-year olds could go to preschool until I saw it all over blogs and instagram. Every time I’ve asked my mom about it from ages 12 months to, well… NOW, she looks at me like I have 4 heads. Max is involved in so many things here and we have so much fun learning with him, so the plan right now is to start him in school next year, fall of 2018, when he is 3, but we’re also not opposed to reassessing that decision and possibly starting at age 4. Depending on the circumstances, of course!
So that’s really where we are at right now at 2.5 years. I can’t get over how much I love this boy and how much I want to be with him every single day. Before I had a kid, I was so worried that I wouldn’t adjust to having a child around since I’d spent most of my 20s doing whatever the heck I wanted, and it’s just crazy how wonderful it all is. Every single day!
Later this week, I’ll share our favorites of the moment, so be sure to stop back. Thanks so much for reading all my rambles about this little lovebug.
12 Comments on “life with max: 2.5 years old!”
What a touching and lovely up-date on your being a mom. And Max is so adorable! Thank you for sharing these moments with us.
I’ve always loved these posts and thought your “obsession” with Max (c’mon, he’s your kid and obviously adorable, how could you not love him?!) was sweet, but I get it on a whole other level now that I have a son of my own! My little dude is not quite 3 months old and I seriously cannot get enough of him. It’s getting to the point where my husband has to put him to bed because I’ll just sit there and smile and coo back at him instead of getting him to sleep!
Man, he is a doll and sounds like he has such a fun personality! No wonder you enjoy him so much!! I just read a book I bet you would enjoy – it’s called Rest Play Grow, and it’s about preschool-age kids’ brains and emotions. It’s science-y and practical and I really wish I had read it when my oldest (who is almost 6, howww) was younger! It’s really helpful to “get in their heads” and realize that some of the most frustrating behaviors are a normal part of development and also have strategies to help them when they’re struggling with All The Feelings. 😉 (But it’s not primarily a book about “how to get your toddler to listen” – but because it speaks to brain development it’s helpful in that area too.) Anyway, I know you love to read and it’s the most helpful “parenting” book I’ve read! I just thought I’d mention it especially since adding a sibling is always an adjustment/potentially challenging time for kiddos! 😊 Love your family updates, thanks for sharing them with us.
I work with families that have children prenatal-kindergarten and would recommend reading about Conscious Discipline and looking at their website. Wonderful information on brain development and teaching children and parents how to manage their emotions. Dr. Becky Bailey is amazing and has great books. Thanks for sharing about Max. He is adorable and it seems you have so much fun with him. Enjoy!
My son is about 6 weeks younger than Max and he does the same chase game! However, I just started my third trimester of pregnancy so catching him and wrestling to get his shoes on/change diaper/etc. is become less and less feasible. I’ve been trying to make running toward me a game (“come get a high five!” or “run toward me!” or “how fast can you do…” etc.). Sometimes it works haha other times I’m either waddling as fast as I can to catch him OR strategically positioning myself in a place he will run by so I can catch him!
I love reading how much fun you are having with him. It’s lovely. I have a 2.5 year old, almost 4 year old, and 6 year old, and the “chase” game is a real deal. It doesn’t bother me, but with 3 young children, and in the middle of a pregnancy with #4, chasing and “just start getting ready earlier” isn’t really possible (since I have to manage two others as well). So, we have a disciplinary component to not complying. It usually involves the threat of a special toy being taken away. I have only had to take the toy away one time, so it obviously works. It sounds cliche – but enjoy having him just as one. It is super special to have siblings, but the times that I get to spend one-on-one with my kids are very special now, and are often a highlight of the day for me.
With my son it was a constant race. I can beat you to your room to get jammies on! Or, I can get my jammies on first! That way if you’re tired, you just let him win, or get a few moments to yourself to change, lol!
Jessica!
It’s so refreshing to see you loving and enjoying your child! It definitely isn’t common these days! It’s so wonderful and nice to see your enjoyment of your son because that’s how my parents were with my 5 siblings and I :) Children are a blessing :) The Lord bless you with many more :)
Just want to eat him up! And it’s TOTALLY normal that you want to spend every moment with him! And I love how much I can relate to all of this. It’s like I’m reading my story a year later. <3
Forever and ever love your wordy posts! And I hope it is a girl! (But healthy first and foremost, of course!)
My son is almost two and I love reading these posts. Thanks for the honest thoughts on picky eating- it’s hard not to worry on the days your kid will literally not eat veggies!
I love reading how obsessed you are with Max because I feel the EXACT same way about my son (who is about 1 year younger than Max). It is such a blessing to get to know their little personalities and share in the joy and enthusiasm they bring to each and every day!