Two Years Ago Today...

...I was struggling and determined to get my baby boy to make his appearance without the assistance of the over-zealous doctors in attendance. I call it determined, I think the doctors called it 'stubborn'.

But, after 2.5 hours pushing, he arrived, perfectly healthy, weighing in at 9lbs 5.5ozs. He was three days late, and just the most adorable chunky, soft skinned, scrunched faced little person I'd met since his big sister :)

He was never very babyish for very long, but then he did have a bit of a head start with that birth size. He's always been very alert and focused on his surroundings and the people and things in it. He wants to know everything.

1 Week old

1 month old

Now he's two, he's had plenty of time to reveal and develop his wonderful little character. He's a cheeky chappy, pulling smirky little smiles when he knows he's into something he shouldn't be, or if he's trying to wind you around his little finger because he wants something. It's that big cheesy, toothy smile that wrinkles up the corners of his eyes, and the sideways tilt of the head, that sets you off laughing, and then he laughs.

8 weeks old

Fancy Dress Christmas Outing - 9 weeks old

He's still really ticklish, but enjoys being tickled. He'll wriggle and squirm and laugh, and then when you stop he smiles and says 'Agen!'. He likes to be an aeroplane (with adult assistance) and he also likes being tipped upside down. He's a climber and very physical. Jumping, running, scooting, lifting, kicking, throwing. He's also very independent. He does not like help or interference, but just lately, he has learnt some things he does need help with, and he knows to ask for 'help plees', and we know to wait to be asked. Even if he's struggling.

3 Months old

He loves his breakfast. As soon as he's up in the morning, he shouts 'get up, dressed. fecfast.' And he expects you to do just that, in that order. Right now, Mama! So once he's dressed and downstairs all ready, he sits himself at the table ready with a big smile on his face. He loves Weetabix, Rice Crispies, Bran Flakes (!) and Porridge. He also loves toast, fruit and yoghurts. He is not great at eating past breakfast time. We continue to try him with all different foods, and always sit him down for lunch and dinner, and always give him the same as we are having. Lunch is hit or miss, dinner is normally a complete failure. I think by that point in the day, he just feels he has better things to be doing. I don't think it's that he doesn't like any of the foods we put in front of him - he's not really tried them. I'm not too worried though because he does eat some snacks through the day, as well as a good breakfast and some lunch. He also has a vitamin drop supplement once a day and we still give him some toddler follow on milk once a day. He's a healthy weight, has plenty of energy, so I'm sure he'll get there in the end. There'll probably be a day when dinnertime just clicks.

Christening Day - 7 Months old

He still loves dinosaurs (Raaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!), but he also loves Thomas the Tank and other trains (and has recently started playing with his big sisters old wooden train set), he loves animals, especially ones he knows the noises for, and he also likes robots. He's worked out this little arm action that he uses when he's talking about robots - I think he got it from the TV show 'rhyme rocket'. Two other current favourites are 'Scooby Doo' and 'Tom and Jerry'.



8 Months old

 

He really seems keen on his routine. He knows what is supposed to happen and when. Like when he wakes up, he knows that his big sister has to go to school. He knows what happens when we go to toddler group, and he really enjoys it there, and he knows that I call in at the shop on the walk home, so he has a habit of asking for chocolate buttons! He knows what happens once Alexandra gets back from school, and that that must mean Daddy is due home in the next hour or so, so then he likes to keep a look out. Because he seems so focused all the time, he seems to pick associations up well. He can tell when we're on our way to certain places because of the roads we take, he knows his favourite shows should be on at the time I take Alexandra to the school bus and collect her from there in the afternoon, he recognises family and friends cars and tells us. He knows when I get a phonecall at a certain time of day, that it will be his Daddy. I think I'm going to have to watch what I say around this one. He may already be stockpiling ammunition for his angsty teen years...!

10 Months old

He really enjoys dancing but is very specific about his songs. He LOVES the Muppets songs, his favourite being 'Bohemian Rhapsody' because of Animal (who is his favourite Muppet. Actually, Zack reminds me of a more in control Animal :D) and he also likes 'Popcorn' with the chef. He still likes Gummi Bear, and his other new favourite is 'Dominic the Donkey' thanks to Mr Bogert deciding September is the time to start with the Christmas CDs in the car. Zack has also taken up the Small Person's hobby of dancing to the end credits of TV shows and movies, so now we have two nutty children breaking out some weirdy dance moves in the living room every time a program finishes! They totally try to out-do one another.

11 Months Old

His sister is still very protective of him, and tries to help him with things, and show him how things are done. Now he's that little bit older and, as I said before, likes to be independent, he doesn't always recieve this assistance in the most friendly of ways. He is going through a bit of a hitting phase. He doesn't hit hard, but obviously, it's unacceptable. The only problem is, we don't seem to be getting very far with putting an end to it. Nothing thus far has done the trick. So, he can on occasion have a little bit of a temper. His frowny face is quite adorable though. I'm less fond of the 'NO! I wont!' or 'NO! I don't!' or his other favourite 'Can't hearyu!'.

1st Birthday

Christmas 2011

He gets far more attached to his toys and belongings than the Small Person ever did, and he seems to sit quietly playing out little scenes with some of them (like his animals) which is something we also can't recall the Small Person really doing much of. It's so interesting how they differ. He was not very interested in sitting down with a storybook or sitting down to draw or carft (again, unlike the Small Person who loved both from a very early age), but just recently, he seems to be taking a bit more of an interest. Just the other day, I left him playing trains in the living room while I went to collect something from upstairs (our house is tiny and the stairs are in the living room, so I could hear everything). It went very quiet. "Zack? What are you doing?" his reply: "I sitting. Reading." and I came down the stairs to see he'd found two of his books out, sat himself on the sofa and was intently looking through the pages with a little concentration frown on his face. Very sweet, he looked like a tiny grown up :) He also often gets his crayons out on his own and takes them to the little table and sits down to work up a couple of fridge worthy masterpieces.

15 Months old - smoosh face!

16 Months old

17 Months old

I just can't believe how quickly two years seems to have passed, and how much he's grown in size and personality. The time really has passed quicker with the Smaller Person than it did with the Small Person, I think mostly due to us all being so much busier.

19 Months old

I love this little guy - he makes me smile every day :)

20 Months old

21 Months old