2 years old!!!

Will is 2 years old today!!!

This has been an unexpectedly emotional day for me. I walked into Will's room this morning singing Happy Birthday to him, and he doesn't yet understand what a birthday is and looked at me curiously and I just lost it and started sobbing. Every year on my birthday my mom tells me exactly when her contractions started, when she left for the hospital, and when I was born. Even 30 years later, she has it all memorized down to the minute. Now, I am beginning to understand. I think birthdays are just as big a deal to the mom as the child, if not more. It's the day my baby came into the world! It's the day my life changed forever! I love him so incredibly much and I can't remember life before him. He is one of God's greatest blessings in my life, and I am SO grateful to be his mom. And with a milestone like a birthday, I realize how fast time is moving and although I am excited for him to grow and learn new things, I am sad too! I guess this is some of what I was thinking as I had a big lump in my throat and tried to stop crying so I wouldn't scare him this morning. (We went out to dinner tonight and I was trying to explain all this to Matt and lost it again at the restaurant! What is wrong with me? How am I ever going to make it through the first day of school or high school graduation if I lose it when he turns 2?!)

Will,

There is a lot I want to remember about this stage of your life...you are at SUCH a fun stage!

• You know all the names of your extended family now. You look at pictures of both sides of your family and you can name each person in both of them. Tonight you got a call on face-time from Uncle Beau and Aunt Kate and knew their names without us telling you!
• You LOVE trains! You have Thomas trains of all sizes and you like to show me each one several times a day and say "BIG train," "Little train," etc. and when they are turned on and moving you get down in their face and say "Hi Thomas!" and "Bye Thomas!"
• You have a huge vocabulary now. You repeat every word you hear, and when I teach you a new word, you get it and will use it correctly the next time. 
• You love to jump on the bed. Sometimes before I can even hear you talking on the monitor, I'll hear the floor and bed squeaking from you jumping! You also like to run fast around your crib, especially when I'm trying to pick you up! You dodge me and do laps as fast as you can around the crib, laughing hysterically!
• Your favorite toys right now are your "phone" (children's computer), trains, books, your Cozy Coupe (flinstone) car, your lawnmower, and legos.
• You love all food, and will try anything we put in front of you. You are the messiest eater EVER, however! You put whatever food you're eating in your hair (soggy cheerios, syrup, yogurt, etc). You already wear a vinyl long-sleeve shirt-cape as a bib, and I think we should probably add a shower cap to you as well!
• Right before naptime and bedtime you lay your head on either my or daddy's chest and let us sing to you. You are so sweet and it's always my favorite part of the day. You are PRECIOUS little boy, and I love you SO much!

I took lots of birthday pictures and I'll post them soon:)