henry at two

Do you remember when Henry was 14 months old and he only said "uh oh" because it was the only thing we said (regularly) that was loud enough for him to hear through all the fluid in his ears? I'm sure you do, because you are a good and attentive audience (and also because I've linked it here for your convenience). Well, friends, it's been a short 10 months since then, and I can tell you that those days are gone for good. At two, Henry is a nonstop chatterbox. He points out every single thing he sees, greets (and charms!) every single person he encounters, and narrates every single moment of his day. Case in point: Yesterday, I picked Henry up from daycare, and I mentioned to the teachers that we would bring treats for his big day today. Two of the teachers in the room were newer, had been there only a few months, and they both asked how old he would be and then immediately guessed he was turning three. "Do you think he looks like a three-year-old?" I asked (not in a sarcastic way, either). The reply came from the director, who has been there since before any of the boys started going: "He certainly talks like one!" The two younger teachers were honestly surprised that he is only two because his speech is so impressive. Henry has definitely been making up for lost time.

Our Henry in some ways is a typical two-year-old. His mood is on a permanent pendulum. He runs around the house investigating (and usually destroying) everything he can get his hands on. He learns new things every day. He has (like Liam before him) figured out how to work every lock and gate in this house. But what Henry wants is not to be a typical two-year-old. What Henry wants is to be a two-year-old who can do everything his brothers can do. He loves the things that they love (Mario Bros., playing the Wii, Star Wars, "wrestling" with Mike at bedtime) and has no idea that he is not quite big enough for those things yet. He just jumps right in, whatever the big boys are doing, and figures out how to do it himself. And we let him, as much as we can. He has his own Mario Bros. figures to play with. We give him a Wii remote with the batteries removed and he happily sits next to whoever is playing, pushing buttons and shaking it along with us. And he is getting a Star Wars Boba Fett lamp for his birthday from his big brothers -- to replace his current age-appropriate Big Bird lamp.

This morning, we all enjoyed some breakfast pound cake for Henry's birthday. He took cupcakes to school with him to share with his friends. And tonight, we will do all the things that Henry wants to do, even if that means totally abandoning our Uno game because he keeps throwing random cards around and messing up the order. And we'll hope that Henry never loses that quality of fearlessness that lets him jump feet first into the things that interest him and figure out a way to make them work.

Happy birthday, Henry!