The 2-year checkup

The birthday festivities have winded down. The cake is all gone. The streamers finally fell off the chandelier. It is time to go back to the real world and... the doctor! A friendly invite landed with a reminder that the second birthday checkup is on the docket.

Fast-forward to the results: all is well! Mathias is weighing in at 22 lbs (10 Kg) which puts him in about the 4th percentile for size. Age-adjusted measurements no longer count at age two. On the one hand, extra weight can only slow you down when climbing on the couch or running around the house chasing Rudi. On the other hand, a little padding probably couldn't hurt when falling off the same couch...

The ear tubes that were put in place back in May have both fallen out. That means no more head band fashion statement in the pool and bathtub. To illustrate:



Swimming with mom then

Swimming with mom now:

As luck would have it - the two-year checkup does not come with any shots! Everyone is happy for that!

More art

A few more images from the birthday celeb-ration!

Mathias received a much enjoyed set of crayons and a book of large pictures.

Nowadays, putting crayons on paper is a daily occurence.

As luck would have it, the crayons are very washable and don't stick to anyting - clothing, flooring, furniture, etc. Thank goodness!

Starting year 3

February marked the beginning of the year of the rat in the Chinese calendar. Actually, it is the year of the Earth Rat (as opposed to the year of the Metal, Wood, Water or Fire Rat).

Around here, March ushered in the year of the Earth Moving Equip-ment. I suppose that would make it the year of the Caterpillar. Other varietals would include the year of John Deere, Case, or New Holland.

For his birthday, the young engineer was endowed with a variety of machinery replicas: a tractor, a skid loader, and a backhoe loader. They have quickly become the favorite pastime around here. Just wait until the sandbox thaws!

2!

Happy birthday!
The party train continued on the actual birthday with the visit of a few friends.

In the few months that have passed since Christmas, M has gotten a bit rusty in the fine art of ripping wrapping paper.

Once he got the hang of it he seemed a bit guilty for having broken it...

The experience didn't last and we quickly got over it!

We finished the day with a piece of mom's favorite - red velvet cake!

Arriving early at Party Central

How much celebrating can one do in a mere one day?

Well... not enough! So we jump started the weekend by having cupcakes with a few friends on Thursday afternoon.




It was a lovely way to set the stage for the big day!

Cathing up to Cindy Lou Who!

The concepts of years and the counting of years may be beyond the reach of someone at Mathias' vintage...

But he is not lacking in enthusiasm for proclaiming the upcoming event!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGmXik2GBy4

In the footsteps of Linus van Pelt

At some point in your life - it probably was a while ago - you came to the realization that you and the significant people in your life, such as your mother, are separate entities. What is a boy to do when you have the painful realization that sometimes mom is actually doing something other than catering to your every need?

Enter what your psychoanalyst would call the Transitional Object!

The rest of us would call it the Security Blanket. It may be an imperfect substitute but it will do in a pinch. For the last few days, after a few weeks of being a bit of a mama's-boy, we have noticed M spending a lot more time carrying his favorite blanket around.

A Transitional Object can also be something like a teddy bear. We have also observed that after we put him to bed at night he (depending on how tired he is) will spend a certain amount of time talking. We believe he is talking to the stuffed animals in his bed. Ericka is convinced he is telling them about his day. But with few discernible words it is difficult to tell. It does, however, sound quite heartwarming.