Noah is 2 1/2 Years Old!

Noah is 2 1/2 years old today! I think that calls for a post dedicated to my little man. It is weird to think that in 6 more months he is going to be 3...wow! Here are some things that Noah has been up to...

~ He talks SO much! Doug and I just love to see what he is going to say next. He catches us off guard every day with the things that he says. He is putting words together and saying full sentences and we are able to have an actual conversation with him. It so much fun to sit and have a fun filled talk with a 2 year old.
~ He adores his little teddy bear, who is named Snuggles, but he just calls him Bear. Lately, he takes Bear everywhere with him. Bear is definitely his little buddy and it is so cute to watch Noah talk to him like he is a real person. If we are going somewhere, he will ask me "Bear go bye bye with Noah?", to which I say "Yes" because he would be heartbroken if I were to say "No".
~ He is almost completely potty trained! Yes! All of my hard work and patience is finally paying off! When we are at home he will go potty all by himself, so he is beginning to understand that he doesn't need to be asked to go, which is great. The only thing that we are working on now is going when we are not at home, which seems to be a challenge all of its own. We are working on it though and we'll get there! All I can say is that I am SO excited to not be changing the diapers of two kids...well, not as many as it has been. I am really so proud of Noah and how fast he has caught on...bribery really does work :).
~ He sleeps in his big boy bed and we loves it! We didn't have any problem with the transition from crib to bed...this just reinforces the fact that he is really a big boy and can handle changes in is life.
~ He is such a picky little eater. He will eat fruit and treats {what kid won't eat treats?} with no problem at all, but we have to do a lot of convincing to get anything else in his mouth. He is gradually eating more and more stuff, but it's a challenge at times. Again, this is where a lot of patience comes into play...we're getting there {slowly, but surely}.
~ He has learned to ride his little bike and, if he had his way, he would be outside riding his bike all day, every day. We have actually cleared out some stuff in our garage so that he will be able to go out and ride his bike when it is cold. He was so proud of himself when he finally figured out how to push the pedals and steer...that smile of accomplishment was so wonderful to witness! He is learning how to do more and more things everyday, and I am so glad that he is proud of himself in figuring these things out.
~ He is such a great little helper to Doug and I. He loves to help me set the table, do the laundry, clean the floors, put away the dishes, and the list goes on. It is so great that we don't even have to ask him for his help, he just offers to help willingly, which makes me even more proud of him :).
~ He loves being outside, and it truly makes me sad that we are not going to be able to go outside as often as we have this summer. He loves going to the playground and running around in the big open field at the park. He also loves to go running in the stroller with me in the mornings. I really do hope that this winter goes by quickly...for Noah's sake!
~ He is already a big Utah fan. His jacked of choice is his Utah hoodie and he loves to dress Bear in the Utah shirt that we got for him. We are extremely proud of him and HIS choice to be a fan of the one true school :).
~ He is the BEST big brother to Leah. The first thing that he does every morning is get out of bed and go see Leah. She is usually on my bed, so he will climb up and give her a big hug and a kiss. It really is so precious to me to see the bond that they share with one another. If she needs a toy, he will go and get one for her without being asked to. He also loves to make Leah laugh, and every time that she is in her Jumperoo, he will show Leah how to jump up and down by doing it himself. Once she sees him doing it, she starts to jump around like crazy! She is learning so much from him and I am so thankful that Leah is lucky enough to have a brother that cares about her the way that Noah does. I really do look forward to see how their relationship progresses over the years...I just have a feeling that they are always going to be close to one another.
~ He is very independent. He loves to do things on his own and he will only ask for help when he really needs it. I love that he is learning to do things without the assistance of others, but at the same time it makes me sad that he doesn't need my help as much as he used to. Don't get me wrong, I love that he is learning, but a part of me wishes that he still wanted my help with everything that he does. I guess that is just a part of being a parent, right?
~ He has a great sense of humor! He loves to make people laugh and he loves to laugh along with them. I really do love this about him!
~ He is an incredibly lovable little boy. He showers us with hugs and kisses all of the time, and we just love it!

Here are some pictures that I would like to share of Noah...

Noah loves to help me bake, and, of course, his favorite part is licking off the beaters!

Noah and Bear
Having fun with mom.
Mr. Independent
Noah playing with Leah. He really does love playing AND sharing his toys with her.

Here's Noah helping me make Macaroni and Cheese. He's really good at helping me grate the cheese....he is such a great little helper!
Noah riding his bike.
Cute boy!