McKay - 2 Years

McKay is 2 years old!! Where has the time gone? We have lived in California for more than half of his life! Wow. We love our boy so much. He keeps us smiling.

Here is an update on what he is doing now:

McKay understands everything we are saying and follows directions really well. He is getting better and better at talking.

He has a contagious laugh and I love when we laugh together. He still loves to read books and knows several letters either by name or by the sound they make (O, H, M, I, L). He also loves to 'count' both his fingers and other things, though he doesn't actually say the numbers.

McKay loves to watch 'melmo'.

McKay's most common responses are 'ya' and 'no'.

Whenever McKay sees the golden arches (McDonalds) he says 'mmmmmm'! He's never eaten there... he just knows 'M' by the sound it makes. AND he totally made the connection on his own.

McKay loves to be on our bed and put his head on 'Dada's pillow and 'Mama's pillow. He figured out whose was whose on his own.

McKay now sleeps (or at least starts out sleeping with) a specific squishy basketball in addition to ducky, bear, and sheep. The ball gets the preferred spot under his arm.

For several days after we got home from AZ, McKay would ask for Papa. He was SURE it was Papa behind Chantelle in the picture of her at Ghirardelli Square. Of course it wasn't.

A few days after we got home from AZ, I could tell McKay was singing something but I couldn't tell what it was at first. I finally realized he was saying E-I-E-I-O. He says it more like 'eyieyiyO'. My Mom sang Old McDonald with him A LOT while we were in AZ and it stuck. Last Sunday when McKay was down for a nap Jordan and I could hear him in his room singing 'yieyieyo'. So funny.

McKay likes to mimic my head tip when I swallow my vitamins in the morning.

When we were camping at Shaver Lake, Jordan was putting McKay down for his nap after we had been swimming. He was changing out of his swimming clothes and McKay gave him a 'massage'. He'd rub Jordan's neck and run his fingers all the way down each arm to his fingers, rub his back etc. Jordan said it was the sweetest thing.

When Chantelle & I were in Gilroy, McKay and I spent a lot of time outside the stores waiting for her. McKay wasn't too excited about shopping for some reason. At one point in time he was probably 20 ft away from me standing against a store window. Each person who passed got a wave and a 'hi' from him whether or not they noticed him. Those who acknowledged him were rewarded with a kiss blown to them.

McKay is in a very independent phase and is too big to hold my hand when we are walking. I draw the line in parking lots and on sidewalks but other than that, he is on his own unless he doesn't stay by me.

McKay LOVES to go up and down the escalator in stores. I usually count on at least 2x up and down. He also loves going up and down steps and is convinced we can't visit the library without going up and down the steps at least once (if I am lucky and persuasive enough, only once).

McKay likes to watch Wheel of Fortune and point out the letters as they appear, which makes it rather difficult to guess the puzzles but that is OK.

We love it when McKay gives us hugs. Mama, then Dada back and forth with the 'tight squeeze' sound effect each time. When Chantelle was here, she was in the rotation too. He is in-charge of the order of hugs so don't try to change it cause it won't work!

McKay thinks it is SOO FUNNY to sit in our spot when we get up. Half the time we don't realize what he is doing and sit somewhere else. He usually protests and insists on moving so we can have our seat back.

McKay loves to help me. He always 'carries' one handle of the hamper to the laundry room and helps me load & unload the washer & dryer. HIS JOB is to push the full basket of dry clothes either to the couch or to my bed. I get in big trouble if I forget and do it myself. He loves to put his own clothes away and puts them in the right drawers. He loves to help put away dry towels and our clothes as well. He also is good at helping me carry the groceries in the house. The other day he even put everything on the table and put the sack away.

McKay likes to put his own sunblock on and is pretty good at making sure he applies it everywhere. I have to help with the rubbing in part though.

The closet door in the hall way doesn't have a latch and often is open 1/2 inch or so. McKay makes sure he closes it anytime he passes.

McKay is getting better and better at feeding himself without making a huge mess. Still a mess, just not huge. Whenever he gets a big spoonful he says 'woah'.

6-6-09
McKay waves to everyone he sees. Sometimes it is just one hand, sometimes it is two hands, and quite often his wave is followed up with blowing them a kiss. Makes them all smile and McKay has instant friends.

6-1-09
When McKay doesn't have anything on his feet, he likes to stand on the metal strip between the carpet & linoleum and say 'burr'!

Waiting for Jordan and Chantelle to rent a movie & get some ice cream. I asked him to smile and he did!

He LOVES to help me dust.

I think this was probably his favorite stop at Santana Row - the children's section of Barnes & Noble.

After I had looked everywhere else in our little house, here is where I found McKay one Sunday afternoon.

Big shoes to fill.

Helping me mop the kitchen floor. Yes, he even took the rug into the front room.

He decided to drink the milk before eating the cereal and ended up with cereal stuck to his head. He didn't know why we were taking his picture and laughing until I got a mirror for him. Afterward we realized I should have been videoing him as he saw the cereal on his head and used his spoon to get it off.

He is fully dressed under the towel. He insisted on staying wrapped up after his bath, though I convinced him to 'un-wrap' portions at a time so I could get him dressed. Funny boy!