Dear Nolan... You're 2!

Posted on the 29 December 2016 by Thenigottothinking @tracyzlesh
TWO! Sweet baby Nolan, how are you already two?
Last night as I laid in bed, I was thinking about how two years ago I went into labor with you. I remember your chubby cheeks and warm, squishy body laying on me. I loved you so much then, and even more now!
Your personality is really blooming. You are such a sweet little boy. You will randomly come up to us and grab our legs and say "love you" and give us a kiss. You have brought me my blanket if I am sad and when we had to take you to the ER a few weeks ago, I started to cry because I was worried about you and even though you couldn't breathe and were exhausted - you gently turned your head and kissed my cheek - your very own way of saying "it's okay, mommy, don't cry". 
The last few months have been full of growth for you - especially with your communication. You're saying so much now. Some of it, only daddy and me can understand, but you definitely are trying hard to use your words more. You say pretty much anything and just in the last couple of days I love asking you how old you are - you say "two!" (Sometimes you say "four" because that is how old Andie is going to be at her next Birthday)
I have loved watching you and your sister grow closer. Sometimes you two will play for hours together with toys. You love to dump baskets and bins of toys over just because it makes a loud noise. Your favorite toys are definitely balls, tractors, cars, and books. You like to color and you love anything disney related (especially Mickey and Buzz Lightyear). You also love to watch movies! 
You love to be outside. It doesn't matter how cold it is, if it's raining, or 100 degrees - you want to be out playing. You got some new toys for Christmas and your Birthday and you love being able to go and play on them. 
In the last few months we have gone to Disneyland twice. The first time we went, in October, was a lot of fun - you really enjoyed the characters and rides. We also went in December and although you had fun, we also had our first ever trip to the ER at 2:30 in the morning. You couldn't breathe well and after watching you struggle for a couple of hours and doing everything we could to remedy it, we just felt like it was time to get some help for you. We got some help and you were up and ready to go enjoy the park the next day. You were such a trooper, it amazed me. 
We celebrated your 2nd Thanksgiving in Monterey with family and you loved the aquarium. Santa came to our house on Christmas Eve because daddy had to work Christmas and you got a new big rig and cars. We celebrated Christmas at Gramz and Pops house and then made our way to Franklin Ranch with the Z family and celebrated your great grandpa John's 90th Birthday. We are celebrating Christmas and your Birthday right now in Incline Village with daddy's family and Gramz and Pops came along too. It's beautiful and you are absolutely loving the snow. You cried when we had to come in last night because it was getting dark. 
You are wearing size 2T clothes and you sleep through the night from about 7:30pm to 7am. You take one nap a day (usually, you've been skipping it a lot recently) from about 12:30 - 2:30. You love fruit, chicken nuggets, yogurt, and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. You have started showing an interest in going potty on the toilet and you will go quite often before bath time. Bath time with your sister is another favorite of yours and you love the water. You gave up the paci (boba) all on your own a few weeks back. Daddy went to give it to you at nap time and you gave it back to him and said "no". You can't sleep with out your "ginkie" (your word for blankie) and you love to have those to snuggle up with if you get sad.
You are still crazy about your Pops. You love to snuggle him and you always scream with excitement when you see him. You are also extremely snuggly and sweet with daddy and me, and your Gramz, too. I love rocking you to sleep at night and if I try to just put you in your bed with out rocking, you will say "rock" and point to the chair. You are so darn cute - daddy and I always look at each other and smile because we can't get enough of you. You have something very special about you, baby, and I hope you always know just how loved you are! You are capable of anything you set your mind to and my biggest desires for you are that you live a life filled with love, kindness, and the people who adore you most. I am so proud to be your mommy. You've been a little bit of a mama's boy for the last couple of months and I love when you stick your little arms up to me and say "mama". I will always be here to hold you - no matter how big you get!
Loving you is one of the best parts of my life. I am so sad to see you turn 2... but I am also loving each day of watching you grow.
I love you to the moon and back times infinity my baby Nolan.
Mama