Titus: 2.5 years

Dear Titus,

At 2.5 years...

• Words I would use to describe you: passionate (to an extreme in a good and bad way), contagious laughter, funny, sweet, very sensitive, dramatic, energetic, loving, impatient, easily frustrated, loud, and creative.
• You are trying to quit napping and it is killing me! You fight me every step of the way at naptime and bedtime. There have been a couple days where you didn't take a nap and you did pretty well, but you ended up cranky by the end of the night and I was cranky from not having a break!
• You are OBSESSED with your baby sister. You talk and sing and kiss and laugh at her all the time. You have yet to lash out at her or seem jealous in the least bit, I've been pretty surprised.
• Right now your favorite things are letters (of course), baseball, America's Funniest Home Videos, and drawing. Last week you drew a "towtul!" (turtle!), dolphin, punkin, and a fish.
• We spend a lot of our time during the day writing letters, playing with letter magnets, watching your phonics DVD and working on your phonics workbook. It's so crazy to watch you get excited about reading already! 
• You know all the letters by name and recognize the way they look, you can write a lot of them (and numbers too), usually in chalk on the trampoline. Your favorite iPad apps are all alphabet related. 
• You are constantly sounding out words and telling me what letter they start with ("duh duh dinosaur. D, mommy! Mommy, D!")
• You are all boy- you would wrestle with anyone who walked through the door if they would let you. But you would also hug anyone who walked through the door, you are the best of both worlds!
• Your favorite foods are mac n' cheese, pizza, chicken (grilled or fried), deli turkey, cheese sticks, pickles, black/blue/ras/strawberries, apples, spaghetti, raisins, peanuts, french fries and popcicles
•  You love playing outside, jumping off stairs and climbing up hills. But you always remind me, "be tareful, mommy" (careful). Once you climb up the hill you'll turn back to me and say, "I did it, mommy! Titey did it!" (sometimes you call yourself Titey to go with Mommy, Daddy and Haddie)
• When we drive you frequently look out the window and make up songs about the clouds and sun and moon (almost always to the tune of twinkle twinkle)
• You have memorized "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son..." and it is PRECIOUS to hear you recite! You also know Jesus Loves Me, Twinkle Twinkle and the Alphabet song, of course
• When we pray at night you list things you're thankful for. But a lot of times you say, "no pray. Amen" when you just want to play more.
• If I pay you a compliment (Titus, you are being such a good boy! or, I am so proud of you! or Do you know what? You are my favorite little boy in the whole world!) you will say, "Adain, mommy. Adain" (again) and want me to repeat the compliments over and over :)
• One of your favorite activities is riding on daddy's lap down the street to Brooks' house. Sometimes on rainy days I just let you play in the car and you sit in the driver's seat turning on the hazard lights and holding the steering wheel

Things you say:

"Top daddy. Why you do dat?" (when daddy is singing)

"Too loud daddy. TOO LOUD!" (basically anytime daddy is talking)
"What doing mommy?" (you ask me this like 30 times a day)
"Tidey do it."

"You did it, Tidey!" (when you finish a game or something)
"Mo ass-sauce please." (Applesauce)
You always want a "chocky waffle" for breakfast (chocolate/nutella waffle)
When you walk in the backyard you say, "get bock, Cucy! Get bock, Bocko!"
You sing a song and then say, "you do it, mommy!" And then you want me to sing it back to you. Then you says, "yay, mommy!!"
"TITUS JAMES AUTRY! WRITE IT MOMMY!"
"I take baff, mommy!" (bath)

"See moon, peas." (every night before bed)

"Bank bew, mommy!" (thank you)

You are such a funny little guy! You are saying more and more things everyday. I am constantly impressed by the original thoughts and questions that come out of your mouth. Some people told me that once a toddler starts talking you will just want them to take a break because it is so non-stop, but I don't feel that way at all! I want to hear all the little things that are going on in your mind. 
Your best habit right now is how sweet and loving you are. I love hearing your excited little voice when I walk into the room,  yelling, "Mommy!" with a huge smile on your face. You run and jump into my arms and it's just so precious. You're also the best big brother Haddie Mae could ask for. You COULD NOT be sweeter to your baby sister. You put her paci in when she cries and if she's crying in the car you say, "no cry, Baybee Hahdee. It ok, Baybee Hahdee."
 Your worst habit right now is generally being stubborn! Boy, that is an understatement. When I tell you, "don't do that" you YELL back, "NO, DON' DO DAT!" You fight EVERY nap and bedtime, screaming and throwing a fit until you finally pass out. You get in trouble the most for yelling (sometimes at us in defiance, other times when a toy isn't doing exactly what you want). But I just keep reminding myself that everything is a phase and truly, your good qualities far outweigh the bad toddler habits you have right now. I know you will grow out of them eventually (fingers crossed!) so until then I will just be patient and pray A LOT :)

We love you SO SO SO SO much, my sweet boy! I am lucky to get these years where I can stay home with you and watch you dance around the house and sing made up songs. We love you to the moon and back, forever and always.