Two Years of Ian

Can it be two years already since we welcomed this little man into the world? So hard to believe!

Ian Joseph was born at 8:36 am February 28, 2014, our second largest baby at 9 pounds 2 ounces and 21 inches long.  I watched with amusement as the realization dawned on nurses' faces that I too was born on this day 32 years earlier. What an amazing birthday gift!

Despite being such a large baby when born, Ian's growth spurt tapered off after birth. He is now our smallest child yet, at the 75th percentile for weight and 45th percentile for height. I still like to call him Bubba. :)


What Ian lacks in size he makes up for with the spunky personality he has grown these last couple years. If he's not happy you're going to hear it. He holds his own through rough-housing sessions with his brothers, and often you can hear him giggling with delight as he chases his brothers through the house. Ian's as violent in his affection as he is in play. He squeezes hard and hasn't mastered putting his teeth away for kisses. Our only blue-eyed, blond-haired boy, he's a special blend, for sure.

 

Trying to put a cracker in his belly. Silly boy!

This child is fearless as well; the higher you toss or swing him, the better. He climbs on top of everything, and can often be found perched on the dining room table. I had to block off the ladder to the bunk bed because I found Ian happily bouncing on the top bunk recently. I can't count the number of times I've had to pull chairs off him, or pull him out of cracks behind furniture and other awkward places. Thankfully the dangerous furniture has been screwed to the wall for years.

Ian is following in Gavin's footsteps of being mostly non-verbal, at least for now. He has about five words in his rarely-used vocabulary. At least he nods for yes and shakes his head for no. Ian used to say Dadda (his first word, at 8 months) and then Mama a bunch. He then tried "oosh" (juice) for about a week around 15 months old. When he sees a flame, an oven, or a really bright light he'll yell "OT!" at the top of his lungs. Lately he mostly just grunts, groans, and points.

Recently he started saying (yelling) "Ba!" I'm not entirely certain what that means, but I suspect it's ball. It's his favorite toy. He often takes golf balls to bed with him, one night including a softball.

Another favorite of his is anything Curious George. Sometimes I'm afraid he thinks he's George.... His favorite foods are black olives, pickles, and peanut butter sandwiches (hold the jelly and remove the crust, please). Butter and cheese sandwiches are also high on his favorite list. Ian absolutely loves baths, and getting out equals the end of the world. He also loves singing, which he executes in a droning yell at least one decibel louder than you. It's our ritual every morning that he drinks the last drop of my coffee before I can put my mug in the sink. His best outfit always includes a hat. He enjoys wearing socks over his footed jammies. Oh, and about all those footed jammies he's always wearing: I got tired of trying to keep clothes on him. He can't remove jammies by himself, but I think they've grown on him regardless. He giggles when I put them on him.

Pickles and George!

Nothing says "Ian was here" like the strange things I find around the house. Things like spoons stuck in vent grates, piles of things in odd places, and marker scribbles on everything. (Markers have been banned from this house until further notice, FYI!) I've recently had to get out a tongs and empty out the heat ducts that Ian has had access to.
Among the treasures retrieved were slippers, bottles of water, Q-tips, game pieces, and my lost dryer ball.

Ian recently transitioned into the big boys room, and as much as it's nice having our room back, I miss my little cuddle bug at night. Especially during the long two weeks that Eli's on overnights.

After Mass this morning we picked up Pizza Hut pizzas and headed home to celebrate. Guess what Ian got for his birthday? More balls! And a George cake.

He made himself a diving board for his ball pit. Ouch.

Inspiration for Ian's cake came from a scene from his favorite movie, Curious George

With a full belly of pizza and cake, we turned the ball pit into a nest, where Ian is now sound asleep.

Sharing a birthday with this sweet guy has been a blessing. My sweet husband hasn't forgotten; I take care of the boys and he takes care of me. I didn't expect anything this year because Eli's currently on his overnight stretch of work. But I got a surprise yesterday afternoon, announced by the boys yelling, "Mom! Some old guy's here to give you flowers!" (We're working on manners.....) Next weekend we've separated the boys among the grandparents, and we'll finally get a date night for ourselves. We even have a hotel room for the night with a fireplace! I'm beyond excited.