Maverick: Two Year Update

{Photography by Trisha Jean Photography}

Note: I wrote this the week before Mav's birthday...it's now two weeks after. Just whatever about it. I cannot comprehend how it's already mid-September.

How did this even happen. Two years ago at this time I was walking as many miles a day as my body would let me, trying to will Maverick to come out. As we all know now, that didn't happen and I like to joke that I would STILL be pregnant to this day if we hadn't scheduled to be induced...something I look back on with such fond memories. Josh and I talk about our time in the hospital (pre-and-post Mav) like it was an actual vacation. I think part of that was because we severely limited visitors (an unpopular choice at the time), and part was because Josh hadn't stopped working all summer...so three (mostly) uninterrupted days in this hospital was the closest thing we had had to a vacation in about a year. Add our sweet, sleepy, newborn and it was relaxed, wonderful bliss.

Anyway, it's birthday week! I'm busy cleaning the house and finishing a few projects before we host Mav's birthday party, a few other events this fall, and then usher in the holiday season we love so much. Maverick's birthday marks the official end of summer in this house (our apple orchard opens a week after his party!) so I'll be pulling out the white pumpkins and buying white mums this month and I don't feel ready for all of that. Maybe it's this big-second birthday and the growing toddler that has me wishing for time and seasons to ALL slow down, I don't know.

Enough about us. This little boy is two and we've had a pretty amazing week, which prompted posting his two-year-update a few days early (all the laughing-crying face emoji's here since this update is now anything but EARLY).

We spent the summer becoming a family with a toddler. Specifically, we spent the second half of the summer teething. Those two things combined mean we've had our fair share of interesting moments. Mav has been working on his canine teeth since we came home from Omaha last month (I remember his last 'good day' being July 19th) and it's been a bit of a dramatic roller coaster in our house ever since. Most of the time it's easy for me to stay calm and just laugh at his antics, but there are days when it does get to me. Overall, when Maverick tosses his head back (to flash all those naughty teeth we've worked so hard for) to fake cry I just step right off of his roller coaster and let him have his crazy while I remain unphased. Jen Hatmaker taught me that you do not have to get on the roller coaster to join in the crazy that's happening around you...this applies to friend groups, hard family members, co-workers, and kiddos from toddlers all the way to teenagers. This is the new way I handle life...just step off the roller coaster.

Mav is in size four diapers (holding out as long as I can because they give you fewer diapers in the size 5 box!), 18-24 month/2T clothing, and size 5 1/2 or 6 shoes. At his last doctor appointment he only weighed 26 pounds, but I'm betting he's closer to 30...since that doctor visit was due to no appetite + pukes.

Maverick loves trucks, trains, semis, cars, motorcycles, tractors, mowers, diggers, bulldozers...I think you get the idea. We stop to inspect and look at all of these things when we're on walks or drives and it's getting really fun to explain things to him and try to teach him to say words. He's a pretty animated, expressive kiddo so these things are verrrry exciting. He loves animals, specifically kitties and puppies and he knows all the sounds different animals and machines make. My favorites are his 'meow' for kitties, his 'neigh' for horses, his 'toootoooo!' for trains, and his 'weeeooooweeeooo' for police cars. *This past week he started doing this ridiculous noise for raccoons that NO ONE taught him, he just made up and it is WEIRDLY similar to the 'sound' raccoons make. I can't.*

It's amazing how much he's recognizing, understanding, and learning. He surprises me every day with something new...or more than one 'something' new. Today he 'asked' for the puppy sticker at Target by gesturing to the cashier and saying 'woofwoof?' I've started explaining everything we do and talking to him like a real human instead of how I talked to him as a baby. Mav gets ticked when I run downstairs to grab something, leaving him upstairs so now I just say, "hey Mav, mommy needs to go get something, I'll go byebye for a minute, but I'm coming right back." and he's totally cool with it. I've noticed a lot less drama in our house when I just take a little time to explain to him what I'm doing or what's happening or that 'we can't go outside right now but we will in a little bit.'

These are all the words and phrases Mav is saying right now:
WoofWoof = Puppy (not just the sound, that's what animals are CALLED right now)
Bannn = Barn
CAAr = Car
Wolf = Oooowwwwooooo
Bunny = *sniffsniff*
Meow = Kittie
Neigh = Horse
Mooooo = Cow
YeaDid = Yea I did
DaaaYaaa = There it is
Gone
GO
Yay
Oh man, Awman
Amen
Ohno
Yessss, no
Hi, byebye, up, down, on, off
8, 9, 10 = the rest of the numbers are gibberish but he'll repeat 8, 9, and 10 clear as day
Twooo - He knows how old he is, but we're working on fingers
Bubble
Ball
More
All done, Doneeeee, All done
Mom, Mommy
Dad, Daddy
Nana, Papa
Bapa = Grandpa
*Grandma is crying he doesn't say her name yet*
Dat = That
Dis = This
Why
Gak = Snack

And my favorite...the word I've been working on for the past TWO YEARS of Maverick's life...
Peeeeese = Please.

There are more and more every day, and he's starting to put two, three, and four word sentences together which is REALLY fun and shocking every time I hear a new one. I can already tell I'm built for this toddler-phase more than I was the newborn/infant/baby stage. This is just way more fun, there's no other way to put it. 100% of family members getting tons of sleep consistently *might* have something to do with it.

Mav loves bathtime, Curious George, Dr. Seuss books, the monster book from his grandma and grandpa, books with flaps, anything Sesame Street, watching daddy work in the driveway or ride the mini-bike and cuddles with mom before naptime and night. He gives kisses, pats, hugs, fives, and pounds on demand. LOVES playing with older kids, but is fairly tense around anyone littler than he is...sharing is not something we grasp yet, and my friend Carley said it will feel like beating your head against a wall until he's three so I have low expectations there. Ha. He hates flip flops and wearing his backpack.These two things are unchanging, illicit insane tantrums, and are non-negotiables for Mav, and I comply because #toddler...then there are certain things he's previously loved but for some reason in a particular moment decides he hates...in which I mean exactly what I'm saying. Yesterday he loved Veggie Straws, today they made him cry. This is me stepping off the roller coaster, that's your snack get over it.

Maverick loves playing hide and seek, especially with Aunt Jamie. Aunt Jamie likes playing hide and seek with Mav because he's the only person she's ever been able to successfully hide from and scare.

We have zero expectations for potty training and moving Mav to a twin bed. We have no reason to push and I don't think he's ready for either (no matter how much I want him in an adorable buffalo-plaid twin bed this Christmas) so we're keeping both of those things low on the priority list this year.  have a close friend a little over a year ahead of me on these transitions and they've gone AMAZINGLY well so I'm planning to just copy her. Potty training and a big bed are future Mollie's problem.

Recently I've started working on some Bible truths with Mav and it goes like this,
'Who made Maverick?' .............
'Say God.' - Me
'GUY!' -Mav
'Who loves Maverick?' ............
'Say God.' - 'GUY!' Mav  Ok close enough...but it gets me excited to keep reading him our Bible stories, working on catechism questions, and pretty soon Bible verses! GAH! So fun!

There's so much more I could say about our buddy, but this is already too long and the only people reading are the grandmas and aunties. He's just the best. Except for when he's the worst and in rare-toddler form...but mostly he's the best. ;) I cannot get enough of his cuddles and his jabbering and the way he is obsessed with his daddy. The other night we were all home (but it was just the three of us for a change!) and had supper finished kind of early...and we just spent an hour playing on our bed and the guest bed...wrestling, cuddling, fake sleeping, and laughing our heads off at how fun and funny Mav is. I can't believe how much I love this little family of ours.

I'm hoping to post Mav's birthday party pictures and decor one of these days along with a fall-house-tour and a tutorial on how painting our kitchen island went! Hopefully September will slow down a little these last few weeks and I can spend some more time in this little blog space I love so much.

If you want to read what I wrote to Mav on his first birthday, you can find that here.

 MmB