Now You Are Two
The first year of your life was pretty full on. We didn’t have the time to reflect and enjoy as much as we should have as you were ill, really ill and we didn’t know why. You were such a happy baby, so full of smiles and laughter. Your development was delayed, as was our joy; dampened by the uncertainty of your illness. You had surgery to remove a benign tumour at eleven months, swiftly recovered and we could all enjoy life again. By the time you were one you were back on track, finally on your feet, literally…you started to cruise and walked at 14 months!
Over the past year you have grown and developed so quickly, it has been a joy to watch you. Your little personality has blossomed and your cheeky sense of humour has developed in bucketfulls!
Now you are two you love to laugh and have a quirky slapstick sense of humour. You think it’s hilarious when you hit Daddy and he makes a funny noise, when you headbutt or point or poke! You never tire of peekaboo, playing horsey and getting up to mischief with your brother. When you are in a enjoying yourself we all know because you give us the greatest crinkle smile!
Now you are two you can jump really high, with both feet off the floor, off steps and crazily enough off bunk bed ladders onto the soft duvet below. You don’t really have an in-built fear mechanism (unlike your much more cautious older brother), you throw yourself at life head first.
Now you are two your sense of independence has massively taken over. To most tasks, the response is…’No, Mayhem do it!’…putting on your sun hat, sandals, pouring milk, eating, taking off your nappy, brushing your teeth (let’s not mention that nightmare task!)…the list is endless. If you don’t get your own way you let us know how very annoyed you are about it. The myth that tantrums start at two it just that! You began ‘asserting’ yourself way before the ‘terrible twos’.
Now you are two you love to help Mummy and Daddy, from making tea and coffee and doing the washing up, to picking and chopping figs each morning. You are your own independent self though and keep us guessing each day. You can either help Daddy and put the figs carefully in the punnet, wear the punnet on your head and don’t help at all, or throw the figs on the floor, laugh about it, then kiss Daddy to say sorry! Chopping with a sharp knife is most definitely your favourite though. Shame it’s such a safety hazard!
Now you are two you prefer to be naked. It can be difficult to get you to wear clothes to go out, but eventually you give in. When we are at home there is no chance, so you are mainly naked, apart from your hat, or two, or three, which you enjoy wearing, only as you can put it on yourself. You especially loath to wear your sandals or shoes when you are inside. It doesn’t matter where inside of course, as soon as we sit down in a cafe your sandals come off, even in the supermarket you try to rid yourself of those darn feet protectors. At home in our Casita, sandals are out of the question, even walking over the sharp stones or gardening, you prefer to be without them. Luckily, you quite enjoy turning on the hosepipe and hosing down your own feet at the end of the day!
Now you are two you take yourself to the toilet. You walk up the stairs, climb onto the toilet and go by yourself (an advantage of being naked of course). You often call for Mummy or Daddy to let us know you have been the toilet or to ask for a wipe, which, of course, you want to do by yourself.
Now you are two you can speak in full sentences. Some words you like to say your own way; binoculars (favourite toy) are binock-nocks, a nappy is a nap-nap. Inexplicably you have always called your brother Chaos Daddy. Whereas Daddy is Dada… go figure?!! You also understand everything we say, even though you choose to do the exact opposite of some things we ask, ‘don’t throw hard things’, ‘don’t bite your brother’, ‘milk and water are for drinking, not for pouring on the floor or throwing across the room’!
Now you are two you can last longer and longer without having to be in mummy’s arms. No more one-handed chopping to make dinner, the almost impossible task of pegging out washing whilst holding you and going to the toilet without being able to put you down. You are still a total velcro-kid and love to be carried and see what’s happening but now you also let Daddy carry you (which Mummy is ecstatic about)! In fact when we go out you now insist on it, ‘Dada do it’!
Now you are two your loving, caring nature is more and more apparent. You often smother us all in kisses and love to go from Mummy to Daddy to Chaos offering your kisses and back again and repeat.
Now you are two you are no longer a baby but a rambunctious toddler and the daily whirlwind that entails. Our amazing, gorgeous, clever little pudding. So full of life and so deserving of it. We are so very privelleged to have you in our lives…Happy 2nd Birthday Mayhem!
What a lovely post. Wow, what a difficult first year though. It’s brilliant to see that he did so well after his operation and how he’s basically nailing being 2! Lovely photos too. Alison x #fortheloveofBLOG
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Thank you for your lovely comment. We really enjoyed celebrating!
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What a lovely post and what a delightful boy you have. Lovely photos.
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Thanks for your lovely comment Tara !
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Happy birthday! Such a lovely post! Thanks for sharing on #fortheloveofBLOG
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Thank you for your lovely comment and for hosting!
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So happy to hear he’s recovered and doing so well! I especially love the part about the kisses he gives you all. There is nothing better in life than baby kisses, especially when they are given freely xxx
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#TwinklyTuesdays
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Wow what a lovely post. makes you really think about all the wonderful things toddlers can do! thanks for sharing and it sounds like he’s made a full recovery. #TwinklyTuesday
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Thank you, it really is great to keep a record of our little ones progress, especially at this age because they change so much every day. He’s doing great now, thank you!
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What a beautiful post! You’ve described your gorgeous boy so well, I feel like I know him! He sounds like the perfect, headstrong, crazy little adventurer, and he always looks just that in the photos of him-as well as a whole heap of adorable!! After his tough start, it looks like you’re having the best of adventures together. Here’s to many more, I hope he has the best birthday! Xx
#bigpinklink
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Thank you for your lovely comment. He really is a little character and he did have the best 2nd birthday ever 😀
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Really lovely post – you really capture what a sweetie your son is. Also, how good is he already taking himself to the loo!? Can’t believe he had to go through such a major op in his first year – so pleased he’s bounced back so well. #familyfun
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Happy Birthday little man! 2 does look like loads of fun. I love posts like this that really spell out how amazing our kids are and what they are like and what the can achieve! Thanks for linking up to #familyfun
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Thank you for hosting and for commenting. Our kids really are amazing and we should definitely celebrate all they can achieve!
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This is so sweet. My boy Max is 2 in a few weeks where does the time go. Heres to the third year 🙂 #sharingthebloglove
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Thanks for your lovely comment. Time really does fly doesn’t it! Happy Birthday in 2 weeks Max!
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I saw drawn to this as I’ve also just done a post about my daughter turning two this week (22nd Oct) Happy birthdays to our gorgeous babies (they always will be even if they take themselves to the loo, eh? Not that mine can yet… high fives to your little man!) Such a lovely post and he sounds like such good fun. I bet there was a time when you couldn’t see that far ahead to his 2nd birthday. What a tough start in life and I’m so pleased to hear he’s living life to the full and keeping you on your toes. I love seeing their little sense of humour coming through at this age. My daughter farted yesterday and blamed it on her dad. Haha. She didn’t get that joke for me, just for the record! #sharingthebloglove
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Thanks for commenting; what a coincidence that our now no longer babies have the same birthday! Two really is a fantastic age (let’s not mention the tantrums) as they understand what you say, even if they totally ignore you most of the time! Love your daughter’s fart humour… Whatever next to look forward to! 😀
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Happy Birthday little one! I love reading letters like this, they are so personal and you really get a little insight to the person they are. Holly calls a nappy ‘nap-nap’ too and this is why I love having a blog to capture all those little things that I know I would otherwise forget over time. Thank you for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove x
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Thank you got hosting and for your lovely comment. Blogging really is the best kind of diary. There’s so much we’ve already forgotten about with two toddlers keeping us busy. Really hope that through the blog we can preserve some of the best bits!
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Awww, this is so lovely! Mayhem sounds like such a little whirlwind, and such a cheeky, happy chap! I’m loving having a two year old and so much of this is familiar – the love of slapstick, the ‘helping, which can sometimes be so helpful and other times the total opposite! So much wonderful stuff about being two that it makes the tantrums worth putting up with (maybe…) Thanks so much for joining us again at #SharingtheBlogLove
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Thank you Katy . I’m sure that in time week forget what a crazy little character he is so it’s great to write it all down. It really is a wonderful time and you’re right, total slapstick humour trying to get anything worthwhile done with a two year old around! He really enjoyed his birthday and all the attention. Thanks for hosting and for your lovely comment!
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Awww happy birthday little one. May he have a wonderful birthday. #FamilyFun.
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Thank you Helena . He had the best birthday ever 😀
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Happy Birthday beautiful boy. He is gorgeous, he had such a tough start in life but he has done oh so well. It’s so nice to read how he has come on and is doing well. My little girl loves to help me too, all the time admittedly its not always helping but its sweet nonetheless. Thank you so much for sharing this with us at #FamilyFun xx
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How lovely and happy birthday! #kalcols
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Lovely read. Sorry to hear he was so ill as a baby but really nice to hear how he’s doing so well now. #KCACOLS
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He’s absolutely amazing now thank you!
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Aww a lovely post. My daughter is nearly two, gulp. I can’t believe it. Glad he’s ok now, must have been a really hard first year for you xx
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Thank you! It was the hardest of first years but it has made us realise we need to cherish every single moment. Hope your daughter has a great 2nd birthday xx
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forgot to say visiting from #Sharingthebloglove x
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I love these updates. They are so precious. They grow so quickly and I have to remind myself that they wont be a velcro child forever and just enjoy it. Thanks for linking up to #KCACOLS Hope to see you on Sunday!
Nadia – ScandiMummy x
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They really are precious times, it’s our jobs as mummies to enjoy every minute, even the more challenging times, as they will grow up and not want as many cuddles way too quickly 🙂
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What a lovely post 🙂 Happy birthday! I totally know what you mean about the myth of tantrums starting at two – my youngest certainly began “asserting her independence” way before then! #DreamTeam
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Thank you! We’ve had lots of assertiveness today, ha ha, it’s lucky they’re so cute!
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Sounds like your little one is full of lifes fun after a difficult first year for you all, what a lovely story, pictures and happy ending – or beginning! #kcacols
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Thank you for your lovely comment. Definitely a happy beginning 🙂
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Awww Happy 2nd Birthday Mayhem! Sounds like a tough first year you all had but look at him now! Gorgeous #KCACOLS
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Oh what a difficult start to life but what a happy little one now! Thanks so much for joining us at #SundayBest, hope to see you again tomorrow! x
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Thanks, he’s such a lovely happy boy
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Two is such an amazing age, even more special after all he went through! Thanks for sharing with #SundayBest x
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Thank you for hosting and for your comment. Yes I agree two is a great age it’s not all terrible tantrums!
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Aww happy birthday little guy! I have to agree…the first year went so much slower and now my little girl seems to be growing on fast forward! Lovely post. Thanks for linking up to #dreamteam Apologies for the late comment this week xx
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