This past July Andy turned two years old. He his two-year check-up appointment went well; he is by all accounts a healthy toddler. He weighed 30 pounds 1 ounce, which is hair more than Matt weighed at this age and puts him in the mid 70s percentile for weight. He measured over 37 inches tall, which puts him in the 99th percentile for height. And his head is also in the low 90s percentile, which I believe. Andy's 3T clothes and size 8 shoes fit very comfortably.
When Andy turned two he had checked off the milestones for two year olds in terms of speech development. He had over 200 words. He still used a couple of signs but is more interested in saying words. He put two words together regularly and sometimes managed three. He said a variety of phrases, including ones where he referred to himself as "I" or "me." (Unlike Matt, who liked to refer to himself by his name, Andy rarely uses his name and pronounces his name best when he's mimicking Matt's exasperated "An-deee!") He clearly understood a lot more than he could express, but he seemed pretty content with his ability to communicate and proud of his expressive skills. Within the past couple of weeks (mid to late September) he has really started chattering away even more and is on the verge of a language explosion. He is inching closer to three or more words in more phrases, his pronunciation is improving, and he is picking up more words more quickly.
Andy continues to keep himself and us very busy. He likes to read more and more, and his attention span for books is lengthening out, although he still prefers the more succinct ones and after a couple of times through tries to take over the page turning and direction of the narrative. He is more adept at doing puzzles. We haven't quite introduced him to jigsaw puzzles yet; he prefers to take apart his brother's right now. He loves to build, especially towers out of blocks and Duplos. He is often inspired by his brother's creations. He likes to draw with chalk and markers, and he likes to stamp. Just like his brother, he has gotten into stickers. Andy still loves running, especially if chasing is involved, pushing things around, driving any sort of vehicle, digging in sand, climbing, sliding, and swinging, and playing with, wrestling with, and annoying his brother.
Andy still has his clear favorites. He loves vehicles of any kind but especially fire trucks (wee oo wee oo) and trains (choo). He is very fond of dinosaurs (rawr). He likes animals all right; his favorites seem to be cats, owls, and elephants, perhaps because he likes saying them. He still loves Curious George and Winnie the Pooh. If he gets the choice of something to watch, he chooses Curious George, Thomas the Train, or Dinosaur Train.
Andy has a hearty appetite and eats well. He eats a decent variety, not too picky but definitely with his favorites. He has a sweet tooth, not unlike his brother, but unlike his brother he's not a chocoholic. He prefers cakes and cookies. Unlike his brother he seems to be more willing to try spicy and/or bitter foods. So far no signs of a food allergy, and let's hope that continues.
Andy is still one happy, good natured little guy. He still has moments of being a bit of a bulldozer, but he can also be very tender and considerate, offering babies toys when we're at the library (especially if they start eyeing whatever he has). He is still a snuggle bunny and likes to give hugs. He is also eager to help. He likes to put things in and take things out of the dishwasher, washing machine, and drier the most, and he wants to help with chores like sweeping and wiping up spills (messes which he usually has some hand in creating). Andy is starting to play with others, although he is still more into playing alongside them, but he also will play more independently, too. He would love to help more with the cat; she tolerates his help with feeding her but has not yet warmed up to his efforts to play with her.
