Say it ain't so!

Our outrageously crazy and hilarious boy is already TWO!

 It’s hard to believe that 2 years ago we were in our hospital room in Wyoming admiring our 1st born son. Since that day our life has changed forever and Dax has become the biggest part of that change by being the “Life of the party” to our little family!

With Daxton becoming a big brother sooner than we thought we felt sort of forced to introduce him with a few things we would ‘ve waited to start, but he has handled them like a champ with few hiccups.

His big boy bed has been the biggest change. At 20 months we made the crib into the toddler bed and it seemed as though he didn’t even notice the change. He’d walk upstairs with us to his room, hop in it, jump around in it for a second and with the direction from us telling him is was time to sleep and lay down, he did! It was crazy but a huge relief.

At 23 months when I was ready for Gray to be in the crib in the nursery, we switched the toddler bed/crib for a twin matrasses that we just put directly on floor. (I refuse to buy my boy’s bunk beds until we move into a new house plus, imagining Dax rolling off it was easier for me to handle) It works great.  My parents brought up a twin mattress, so while McKay, Papa and I were making the switch of beds and rooms, Nana and Dax went and picked out sheets for it. They happily returned with sheets that had dump trucks and tractors on them. Dax loves them. Sometimes when he is in his room waking up or trying to fall asleep I can hear him saying and pointing out “tactor!” and “dump tuck!”   He has fallen out once, had a few ruff times going to sleep by himself and walked out wanting to get in bed with us two nights. We are pretty lucky he has made the transition so well.

Playing on his big boy bed

How cute is this? This is his sleeping pal, Pup. He now takes him everywhere with us.

Loving the summer corn on the cob as much as his dad

He loves to brush his teeth by himself which means it gets pretty dramatic when we help him.

He was not sure what to think of s'mores at first, but once he gave it a chance........well you get the picture.

He sits in his big boy chair at the table for meals and snacks. He is able to get in and out of it by himself. This is very helpful with Grayson around now.

Dax still goes potty in the toilet before every bath and sometimes in the morning. I can’t wait to buckle down and get him fully trained.

Loves to color with crayons and chalk. He’s getting better at circles, loves to draw lines, dots and zig zags.

He loves the water and pool as long as he has an out if he gets nervous, like being close enough to the edge or having an adult close.

So far he can hold on to the edge and kick his legs, hold his breath to go under, blow bubbles and of course splash! He refuses to lie on his back and have us help him float. We enjoy taking him to wave pool and kiddy pool and Seven Peaks and also the Riverside side country club pool/splash pad.

Teasing is this kids game! He knows what he is supposed to do or not supposed to do, touch or play with and enjoys seeing my reaction as he is about to break a rule. He knows he can only color on the paper, so he will get this mischievous look as he makes subtle eye contact with me walking over to the wall and acting like he is going to draw on the wall.  He will actually pretend to draw on the wall and smirk at me. He’s a pill sometimes.

Loves nursery at church. When he walks in that room he suddenly doesn’t have parents anymore. We become invisible, so if I want a kiss before I leave him, I better get it before we reach the room.

Good luck golfing Dad!

Always sharing with his Sammy. (gross I know)

Saying "Cheese!"

He's a great reminder to pray at every meal.

Wanting to hang out with his little Gray

Playing in the back yard with his hat

He got a hair cut that evening :)

Things I hope to never forget.

-They way he looks at us during the prayer and sneaks a bite of food.

- How he plays and talks to himself when he doesn’t think I’m watching.

-Hearing his voice as he hollers out “Mom!” or “Dad!” when he can’t find us.

-The way he cares for his little brother, Sam or his new sleeping buddy Pup.

 -The way he walks around talking on the phone (pretending or actually chatting with someone) like a grown up using his hands and chuckling as if he’s telling a funny story. 

-How he proudly shows off his ouchies. (bruises, scrapes, scabs etc...)

Watching his face light up with a huge smile when we pull up to the park.

He loves this hat

Throwing rocks in the creek

Being parents to a lovable child like you has been the most blissful and heavenly experience for us. Thanks for giving us happy times and unforgettable memories that we will cherish for a lifetime.  Happy Birthday Snugs!