Brooks is 2!

So.....not sure how it happened, but our Brooks is now a big 2 year old.  (However, according to him, he is 3!)  It's so hard to believe that 2 whole years have already flown by.  Brooks is still such a Mama's boy, but he is also starting to want to "hang with the guys" alot more, too.  About 3 days before he turned 2, I would venture to say that he had a slight personality change and entered "the terrible 2's" as they call it.  Although, so far, his 2's haven't even touched on "terrible," he has become much more independent and strong willed over the past few weeks.  He insists on doing most things his way, by himself, and on his timetable.  He definitely wants to be a big boy like his big brother, Reives!  Everyday, he shocks us with new words and phrases, and he can truly carry on a conversation with us now.  He is able to tell us about things that happened at church or at a friend's house, and he loves to tell us about times when he cried.  It's quite funny.  I am really amazed at how well he can communicate and talk!  Brooks is still as sweet and cuddly as ever, and he still has a funny and quirky personality.  He makes us laugh all of the time, not by trying to do funny things, but just by being himself.  He loves his big brother, Reives, so much, and they are really starting to play together and interact more.  Reives will tell Brooks that they are going to pretend to take their trucks somewhere, and Brooks jumps right in and plays with him.  I love that they are interacting more.  Of course this means more squabbles and quarrels, but for the most part, they play pretty well together.

Another big thing that has happened recently is that Brooks seems to be slowly coming out of his picky eater stage.  Don't get me wrong, he is still picky, but he isn't as picky as he was.  He is now eating many different types of meat...beef, chicken, venison, deli meat, etc.  He is also trying casseroles and pasta dishes and things like that.  He even eats applesauce with a spoon....for him to eat anything off of a spoon is pretty big deal!  Brooks still loves his milk, too.  He asks to carry his "rags and paci" around alot, and they are definitely his comfort items.  The other major thing that has happened around Brooks turning 2 is that he now gets to sleep in a leg brace.  Because he has tibial torsion (turning in of lower legs and feet), he is wearing a brace that keeps his left leg in a bent, turned out position when he sleeps.  The brace attaches to a shoe that turns his left foot outwards.  We were pretty nervous about how this brace would affect his sleep, but Brooks has amazed us.  He has never complained or cried about his brace.  In fact, he LOVES it and asks to sleep in it!!!  Go Brooks!

Other things going on at 2:

-says "God is Great" blessing with Reives
-can count to 10 along with someone
-correctly identifies the color pink most of the time (funny!)
-sings alot to the songs we listen to in the car
-loves to cuddle before bedtime and rock and sing songs
-was right around the 60th % for height and weight at his 2 year checkup
-is obsessed with trucks, tractors, cars, golf carts, trains, etc.
-is not too much of a morning person (can be a bit grumpy)
-can pretty much find a way to get into any child proof bottle, fingernail polish, etc. (we know firsthand and have had to do some rearranging)
-great at entertaining himself most of the time
-loves to give hugs :)
-still looks alot like his Grandaddy (my Dad)

Some other pics of our little guy at 2:

And some pics from Brooks's 2 year Tractor Birthday Party:

Happy 2nd Birthday, sweet Brooks!  We love you!