your twenty-eighth month

It seemed like in one month you had left babyhood firmly behind.

When we looked back at photos and the stories of you as a tiny baby,

he was hardly recognisable as the little boy that stood before us.

You were just so clever now and it amazed us all the time.

And it wasn't only us who thought that,

you had a two to two-and-a-half year check 

and the health visitor was so impressed by you.

She thought you were happy, polite and charming,

as well as saying that you were academically fairly advanced for your age.

We loved you exactly as you were,

but it was fantastic to hear other people say what a great little person you were.

We had transferred you over from your toddler bed

to a full size single bed.

And given that you were sleeping a little longer in the mornings,

we guessed that you liked it.

In your typical style you had taken the change in your stride,

and just gone to bed in your new bed as if nothing had changed.

You instantly started referring to your cot as your sister's bed

and we were so proud of how quickly your just adjusted to changes and moved on.

You had become really interested in music

and loved to sing along with familiar TV theme tunes

and with songs you heard in the car.

Listening to your little voice trying to follow the tune

and making up the words made us smile so much.

One of your favourites was "oomer has ik" or Rumour Has It by Adele.

And you also loved the songs on the videos Mummy had made,

and would often ask to watch the videos again and again.

You liked to commentate what was happening as if we didn't know

and you favourite bits where the bits with your sister in.

And you would smile and laugh back at her on the screen

in the cutest way.

You had been brilliant with using the potty ever since we started potty training you

and we had gradually started to show you and get you to sit on the trainer seat on the big toilet.

One day you just decided that you would like to use it,

and then never looked back.

You would excitedly ask to use the "big boy toilet"

and loved to sit and chat to us on it.

You were staying dry during your naps now which was great

and meant that we only had nighttime left to crack with the potty training.

But we weren't in any hurry considering that you were pretty young to be potty training at all.

Your will seemed to get stronger all the time,

but we felt really fortunately that you were such a good natured toddler.

You had started to stamp your feet on occasion now,

and would try to test the boundaries (and our patience) from time to time

just to see what you could get away with.

But mostly you were just a pleasure to around,

and your little stubborn streak just made us smile

as we realised what an independent person you were becoming.

You were seriously into everything

and would often ask to go on "adventures".

You just adored to be outdoors

and big wide open spaces were your favourite.

You loved the woods, you loved the park,

you loved watching the birds, you loved looking for planes,

you loved listening for sirens and seeing the bin truck.

Everything seemed like an adventure to you, 

even making the bed was an opportunity to make a tent

and to play games of hide and seek,

and we just loved going along on this wild ride with you.