2.5 years old -- Charlie update

This cool dude is now closer to 3 than 2. (With that, it means he has moved to another room in nursery at church but otherwise no big changes.) 

It's amazing to see how much he's changed over the last few months.  His personality is coming through more and more each day. He's no longer a baby.  I love to see how his little mind works.  I love being able to have conversations with him.  As I type this, he is singing Let It Snow as we ride down the road. :-) (Before you start worrying, Matt is driving.  However, I really should not be blogging and riding as motion sickness will set in soon.)  Anyways, Charlie is pretty inquisitive these days, just trying to figure it all out.  His favorite questions is "Where did you get that from?"  I have a feeling that this Christmas is going to be really fun.  He's pretty excited that Santa is going to bring him presents and he loves the lights.  

Charlie is a healthy little boy.  He has had a great fall with a lot less daycare crud this year, at least so far.  We did have a scary thing happen to us about a month ago.  Charlie was a wild man and I was trying to get him in the bath.  He was running through the house.  I asked him to go to the bath tub.  Of course, he didn't.  I grabbed his arm and at the same moment he pulled away from me.  At that moment I felt a pop and he started screaming.  I thought he was just mad and throwing a tantrum (which he can do really well) but he cried and held his arm.  He insisted that he needed ice so we did that but he still screamed through the bath.  After bath, Matt made the call that something was wrong so we headed to the Emergency Room.  I was beyond scared and so very upset thinking that I broke my child's arm.  I couldn't believe that I hurt him and sent him to the ER.  Luckily for all of us, it's pretty common and was an easy fix.  He had Nursemaids Elbow.  We went to a pediatric ER and it was a pretty awesome experience (aside from me being scared to death).  A quick manipulation by the doctor and then bubbles and a Popsicle for Charlie made everything 100% better.  He still talks about the bubbles.  He thanked everyone there for his Popsicle and bubbles.  It was pretty cute!  I was so thankful and relieved that was all that it was.  Apparently some kids are more susceptible than others and he has a little higher risk of it happening again.  I'm hoping not but I talked with his pediatrician and he educated Matt and I on what to do if it ever happens again so hopefully we can avoid another ER visit.  :-)

Charlie had a check-up a couple weeks ago (just a few days after the whole hospital experience).  We took his doctors kit with him and he was so good during the appointment.  I have to give our pediatrician credit because he played with Charlie through the entire check-up, even letting Charlie do a check-up on him.  Charlie got a great report and didn't have to get any shots other than the flu shot which he got to get the nasal form this year.  He weighs 31 lbs 4 oz (75th percentile) and is 37.5 inches tall (75th percentile).  He's grown quite a bit since May.  He eats well most of the time and isn't too picky.  For the most part, he loves the same things.  He has discovered Chef Boyardee (I know that doesn't get me parent of the year) and he loves ravioli and ABC/123s with meatballs.  

Charlie knows what he wants and can throw a good tantrum which can be turned off as quickly as he can throw his fit.  It can be frustrating and funny.  Luckily, for a 2 year old, he has pretty good reasoning skills.  I think he has his Dad's patience most of the time (which is a good thing) and he's overall, a pretty laid back go-with-the-flow dude.  For whatever reason, he has decided he has an opinion on his clothing.  He picks out his pajamas every night.  He only wants to wear "comfy clothes" (aka sweatpants) these days.  He really doesn't want to wear jeans but he tends to go along with it. 

Charlie loves to play all the time.  He's very active all the time that he's awake.  He will sit for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse which remains his favorite TV show.  He also has managed to see 2 movies:  Cars and Toy Story (although he did not sit and watch them all the way through).  He likes both of them.  Matt and I are thinking about taking him to the movie theatre soon which I think could go either way. 

Charlie loves books and likes to "read" to us.  We have enjoyed special Halloween books this Fall and now have started reading Christmas stories.  I would love to say that the true Christmas story is his favorite but truthfully, it's Pete the Cat Saves Christmas!