LO at 2 and a half

In just eight days, LO will be two and a half.  We might have a little something going on around here by April 10th, so I want to take a moment now to record what a big boy our LO is becoming.  I'm also perfectly aware that he might try to regress a bit when Newbie gets here and I'd hate not to acknowledge his progress.  We are so proud of him!

• He's jumping, hopping, climbing, and trying to stand on one foot. We often comment just how different it is to take him to the park lately.  He's still a super-cautious kiddo, but he has moments of bravery that surprise and sometimes scare us. 
• He's still in a crib, but probably just weeks away from needing a toddler bed.  His climbing and jumping love has extended to the crib rails and we have seen him get a leg up there and try to hoist himself up.  For now we are trying to convince him that is not allowed.  So far it is working, but we're not sure how long that will last!
• He is tender and affectionate.  He tells his Dad and me "thank you" without prompting for random things like changing your diaper, washing the car, fixing the squeaky gate.  He has started to offer us kisses, hugs, and "I love you"s when we play in addition to when we leave or come home.  I love to see him run to meet his Dad or Kate when they come.
• He is learning to be polite.  As much as he likes to eat, he does a great job of waiting to dig in until I can get all the food to the table and his Dad and I both sit down.  He is doing well at not taking food off our plates.  He has even done well enough eating out that he and I have gone just the two of us.
• He is starting to interact, and often play, with other kids.  Just this week he gave "five" to another boy at the pool and followed another boy through the tunnel on the playground. We're still working on making introductions, but he makes a good effort for a shy guy.
• He wants to be so independent.  He prefers to walk up and down the stairs without holding hands, wants to choose his own clothes (though he'll tell you 5 seconds later he doesn't want what he just chose), climbs in the van and his car seat without help, and puts his sandals on by himself (often on the correct feet, though that may be coincidence). 
• This isn't anything new, but he talks like crazy.  This week he picked up "what's up?" from two guys at the pool. Fortunately he hasn't picked up anything else from there!  He says funny things all the time.  This week he thought DH said "tasty poop" instead of "pasty." He thinks "pee" and "poop" are the funniest words anyway, so he really got a kick out of our response to the suggestion that one might be "tasty." 
• We're on a break from potty training, but he still asks about it and shows some interest.  He's mostly interested in wearing undies, but not doing what he needs to to keep them dry.  I just can't work on that and have a newborn, so I'm hoping the hiatus will give us both a chance to be more successful next time. 
• He's a little more comfortable with the idea of baby brother...maybe.  He likes to uncover and re-cover my belly.  At night he kisses baby brother good night and we tell him to "stay in there" a little longer.  I still doubt he has any idea what is coming, but it's sweet that he's starting to make some sort of connection.  He still wants to name him "sister."
• He is still firmly in the midst of toddlerhood, but he's looking more and more like a little boy.
• He knows his colors (even red and yellow, I think), he can count to 25, he understands the concepts of one and two, he recognizes most of his uppercase letters and associates a word with each.  He has a little trouble with "V" and "Y" and a couple of others, he can spell his full first name.
• He is becoming DH's shadow.  He loves to pretend he is doing whatever DH is doing...today it was crouching to follow an ant trail.  Good thing we have such a good Daddy to shadow!
• He usually sings in his crib until we get him.  Lately he's sung Old Macdonald, Baby Bumble Bee, I've been working on the railroad, "Mingo," and anything from music class.  I turn the monitor on in the mornings so I can be serenaded for the half an hour I'm getting ready. It's so sweet. 
• He is getting into imaginary play.  Usually with his favorites toys, Pooh, Lovie, Bob, Penguin, or his "one time toys" which are a collection of small diggers and dump trucks.  He always makes Bob or Penguin climb the ladder on the outside of  the diggers.

I get the feeling that I'm about to hit survival mode for the next 6 months or so.  Before I know it, LO will be three!  I know I haven't remembered everything I wanted to about him now, and hope I won't miss out on all his progress between now and then.  We love you buddy and are so excited to see you continue to grow.