A Portrait of the Artists at 2.5 Years

Official well visit weigh-in stats:

Linus - 26 lbs. 6 oz.
Veda - 21 lbs. 13 oz.

I think the nurse messed up their height check because they were both shorter than the last time they went to the pediatrician. No matter. Our home stats:

Linus - 35.75"
Veda - 33.25"

Veda will be headed to another pediatric gastroenterologist next week to get a second opinion about some ongoing GI issues. Wish us luck.

And now... the good stuff...

This age is my favorite so far. You guys can carry on conversations. You answer questions. You have clear preferences.

Linus, it's pretty remarkable how affectionate and loving you are. You're so free with giving me hugs and kisses. It's going to be a very, very sad day when you decide that you're too big to love on your mommy. One of your favorite games right now is the go to sleep game. It entails you telling me to lie down in bed and go to sleep. (Don't mind if I do!) Then you snuggle into me and let me cuddle with you. It just doesn't get any better. Well, for the 45 seconds you're actually still.

Your vocabulary is so impressive. You're not just speaking in full sentences, you're using words like presentation and camouflage. You've been pretending to read out of grown-up books lately, as well as inspecting the text of things like receipts and junk mail. You recognize lots of letters and are pretty good at counting objects. Colors, though? Neither of you can recognize a single color, which is sort of driving me nuts. But we'll get there... we will. And surely both of you can't be colorblind.

You are currently obsessed with all things that go. You're usually carrying around at least one matchbox car, and you pretend that nearly everything in our house is a rocket ship. Every day you request to watch the Cars movie... multiple times over. It's also pretty funny to hear you randomly shouting "Ka-chow! or "Axlerod!" (as in Sir Miles Axlerod).



Veda, you have become so, so independent. Whether it's getting out of your car seat, using the potty, or getting into the bath tub, you insist on doing it on your own. ("Myself!") You've also started requesting time to yourself every now and then and sometimes say that you don't want Brother in what you believe to be your room. Sorry, kiddo, but until we move, you guys have to share. You've developed a little bit of a bossy streak, too. I love singing to you, but you've started declaring, "No song!" pretty often. Even funnier is when you tell me, "Don't say that." Just the other day I was reciting a line from Seinfeld - "Elaine and Suzy! Suzy and Elaine!" - and sounding like a teeny little exasperated teenager, you said, "Don't say that."

You've become the big arts and crafts enthusiast around here. Stickers, watercolor paints, chalk, crayons, markers, drawing, playdoh, cutting with your new scissors - you love it all, and it's not uncommon for you to wander into my bedroom in the morning requesting that I get out some paint or glue for you. You're pretty good at recognizing letters, and you are starting to enjoy counting objects (though you refuse to believe in the existence of the number four), but right now honing your fine motor skills is your big thing. It's pretty amazing to watch you so focused on learning to use scissors or trying to stay in the lines in your coloring book.

As much as you like dressing like a girly-girl, you have almost no interest whatsoever in dolls. You still request Thomas the Train books, and Cars is currently your favorite movie. Blocks, Legos, and balls are among your favorite toys right now. Helping me is one of your favorite pastimes, and you get so excited about cooking.

I've always had this feeling with you that you're something of an "old soul". Sure, you're a toddler, but everyone notices that you're very mature for your age. I'm sure this will sound kind of nuts, but I really do feel that there's a little adult in there who understands way more than the average two year old.


I love you, my little bunnies.