And all of a sudden...

a) Isaiah is two and b) Braylon is crawling.

Yep, Isaiah is two. I'm delayed in posting a blog to share pics of the momentous occasion (although my pics are few and far between because SOMEONE I know decided to turn the flash off to take them and the resolution is too dark and blurry, unfortunately), but I thought it worthy of mentioning regardless.

He's two! He's full of words, a vocabulary that grows more sophisticated day by day. He goes potty every time (though soils the diaper between trips to the potty too). His will to be independent is strong. You should've seen him desperately wanting to skate on his own, both at the Toyota Christmas party and on Sunday at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. He is very affectionate and incredibly bright. He is learning his colours easily (especially pink, for some reason) and can count to fourteen (that's how many stairs we happen to have). Things he does and says often make Greg and I shake our heads in amazement and smile proudly. Few people believe he is only just two!

However, with two years come new challenges, apparently. He flails into a limp spaghetti position when he does not want to do something and shows severe signs of jealousy now that Braylon can reach his toys. Two-year-old temper tantrums appear to be upon us in full force. He has mastered a high-pitch shriek/scream that I cannot for the life of me silence.

Both boys are growing up so quickly! Braylon, after months of slithering backwards and spinning in circles, finally decided to crawl out of nowhere. There was no up-on-the-knees-and-rocking for days, and very little reaching forward for toys. He just up and went. And can he motor!! Gone are his frustrations over getting stuck, though now that he's climbing as well his patience wears thin because he hasn't quite mastered that.

So yes, he's turned into an incredibly active child. He's actually standing and beginning to cruise from one end of the coffee table to the other. He's desperate to climb up to standing, but often gets caught on his knees. He'll figure that out too, in due time. I'm finding few "walking" toys successful in helping him advance, however, because they move to quickly, rolling out of reach.

He loves watching his brother play (though doesn't quite appreciate when Isaiah spreads himself out on top of him) and wants to do everything Isaiah is doing. As of late, his favourite thing is to climb into Isaiah's ball tent, throw the balls out, and chase the rolling balls around Isaiah's room. And he loves to be outdoors (even though he can't skate either).

Now it's going to be about sharing in this household, because soon enough Braylon will be big enough to hold his own against Isaiah. And when Braylon wants to play with toys that used to belong solely to Isaiah, as is beginning to happen, Isaiah is quick to use the word "mine." Fortunately for Braylon, Isaiah has been spoiled for years, so of the 5 ride-on "vehicles" he has, Braylon managed to climb up on Lightening McQueen for a quick ride around the living room.

Oh, I don't want maternity leave to come to an end... I can't imagine not being home to share in their daily lives. T minus 8 weeks.