Jacob Two-Two

Here we are again. Another year gone. You're upstairs trying valiantly not to go to sleep, little man, while mommy is here writing to you. You're still too young to truly understand what a big day it is tomorrow. All you know is mommy and mema keep asking you, "How old are you?" and you respond (after some prompting) with a proud yet somewhat unsure, "Two!" You're growing up, buddy. You're getting too heavy for mommy and daddy to pick up (though, of course we still do!). You think you can do everything on your own, and yet get SO frustrated when things don't work like you want them to. We're working on you learning your feelings and expressing them the right way (for example: not throwing things across the room when they don't work like you want).
You're speaking pretty decently now...at least enough that we know what you mean. In fact, today you even put words together, saying, "'Elp me, peez," when you needed mommy to help you climb on our bed. I was so proud of you for so many reasons...asking for help, saying "please," and putting it all together! You also said "I wuv oo" to mommy and hugged her without even being asked. I thought I was gonna cry right then and there (it's something mommies do)!
You have a wide range of words, including (and not limited to): mommy, daddy, mamaw (mommy's mommy), papaw (mommy's daddy), Nimmy (Uncle Jimmy), 'Ac-Ob' (Aunt Kristen's son, Jacob), Yady (Lady), Spite (Sprite), kitty and cat, dog and doggie, no (you like that one a little too much!), peez (please), tank oo (thank you), batt-y (battery), gook (book), 'nket (blanket), off (which covers anything off or not off), wait (which you repeat to yourself while mommy's locking the front door and you don't go any further than the edge of the porch), hat, cookie, smoothie, gapes (grapes)...oh my goodness, I could go on forever! You tell the doggies "bye bye" at their window when we leave the house. You yell "BYE" to mema and papa's entire household before we go home. You also tell people "bye" and "I wuv oo" (even if they aren't related!) when mommy gets off the phone.
You give Uncle Jimmy real high fives now instead of pinching his palm. You LOVE to snuggle on the couch with mema. You love playing outside with papa and climbing on the "chacta" (tractor) whenever you get the chance and helping in the garden (aka, find rocks and put them in the back of your dump truck). You love Big Jacob and Aunt Kristen (maybe a bit too much...you are such a flirt, kid!).
Some of your favorite things right now are playing outside, trains, tractors, planes (whenever you hear any loud humming you promptly call out "Pane!"), bouncy balls, doggies, books,  music, dancing,  and pretending. I love watching your imagination at work, baby. You aren't really into TV quite yet, which is totally not a bad thing. Sometimes if I'm watching TV or doing something in another room and realize you've been kinda quiet for a while, I look at you or peak around the corner and see you playing by yourself, completely enthralled with what you're doing. You'll sing to yourself or with mommy. If you hear music, you'll start dancing and/or singing.

 

You ask every night for a "baff" (bath), even if you don't need one. You ask almost every morning to "bre-bruff" (brush) your teeth. You're eager to help out (unless we ask you to do something, then you don't really feel helpful!), and will put things in the "chash" (trash) for us or do little tasks. You help mommy scoop the doggies' food in their bowls every morning and think it's funny when Lady jumps really high in excitement. You'll also bring me their "wawa" (water) bowl to be refilled. You've learned so much in this past year and are still learning and wanting to learn. Keep that inquisitiveness, sweetie.
Oh, there's so many things I could list here. I could go on and on and on about you (as every mama does about their baby). But it's late, and mommies need their sleep as well as little monkeys. So let me say happy early birthday, monkey man. Mommy and daddy love you so much!