He's 2.5

That's between two and three years old... and now technically, is closer to 3 than 2.

How?

I tell you it hasn't gone by without me noticing how much he is changing, learning, and enjoying life (Well, maybe he's not loving this exact moment... as I have self diagnosed him with either strep throat or hand, foot, mouth... we'll see what an actual doctor says at 9:10 today. After not having been to the doctor in well over a year (for a sick visit) we sure are making up for that these last three weeks!).

* UPDATE: hand, foot, mouth confirmed. Looks like the worst is behind us (fever gone as of this morning and blisters showing themselves). It's just not pretty people... not.at.all.

Back to the actual post... I will be doing a "Q &A" with Burke, and thought I would do a video interview, since he can answer most questions himself (and quite hilariously, I might add). However, I would like to look back on the video and not remember the hand, foot, mouth virus... so we will be waiting a bit before that arrives on the blog...

At 2.5 years of age, he ...

-is 26 lbs and 3 ft. tall. (the one bonus of going to the doctor today was getting his stats)

- still sleeps through the night, but I've had to start laying in bed with him till he goes to sleep since we moved to the big boy bed. (Don't ask me how this will go down once baby girl is here... I have no answer.) He We usually goes to bed between 8-9 and wake between 6-7 and he naps for 2-3 hours every afternoon.

- is going to preschool. The first day, I thought it was going to be way too easy... and then he cried the next two times I left him ... aaannndd I almost decided that I would indeed keep him at home with me until he was 40. But I pushed the urge aside, and now he goes in with a smile and a "HEY!" to his teachers and a "Bye mama." for me. This makes me feel so good, knowing that he is enjoying himself and loving his sweet teachers. *Note: His teachers told me he knows it's time to leave when all his friends start finishing their lunch and getting out their nap mats. He says "Where my mommy go?" and she responds "She'll be here in just a minute," and he goes to a chair to sit and wait. :)

- makes up his own words (which cracks me up)... the latest is "juicy box"... let me use it in context... "You're a juicy box."

I have no idea... but these boys sure found it hilarious coming home from the Auburn game Saturday night. :) (It was pitch black in the car... you just have to listen).

- is not potty trained. He will go poo poo in the potty in the morning, but the rest of the day is still in a pull up. He changes the words in one of his potty books, to where it says his name (like he is the one using the potty), which humors me. And I've decided to use the reason he hasn't made the jump to fully using the potty  to "It's not you, it's me" theory. I just have to bit the bullet and give it a try again. There just never seems to be a good time to make this transition... (said every parent). However, now that we are going to be spending the next few days in isolation- I might find the courage to attempt this... we'll see. As of right now, he is lounging with his Thomas underwear... I guess I'm testing the waters.

- sometimes changes things up at bedtime, by reading ME books. Yes, it's the cutest thing ever.

- Will melt your heart when he says "Play with me (insert anyone's name that is in sight)"... and who can say no to that request?

- Loves going to Chucky Cheese, picking "mados" with Nana and at the farm, Curious George and Frozen, is still obsessed with the band, Aubie (heck... any character for that matter. He cried the other day when the Chick-fil-a cow had to go take a potty break.)

- He loves to cut with scissors and use a glue stick. I find his fine motor skills to be pretty good!

- He counts to 12 easily, and occasionally goes to 24, but not accurately (when he gets to the teens its more like "oh-teen,  i-teen, a-teen), and says his alphabet and recognizes most all letters
(but loves to intentionally say the wrong thing to get your reaction.) :)

-Favorite foods are chicken fingers, pizza, hotdogs, chicken casserole, and ANY candy or cookie known to man.

-I love the way he says belly (bel-lay), architect, tomatoes (mados), Danielle (Nan-yel), and pillow (pill-lo).

- Finally gets that Aubie is the mascot and Auburn is the place... before they were one in the same.

- Loves to "help mama" in the kitchen... whether it's cooking, washing dishes, or putting up groceries.

Since he didn't go to school for running a fever on Wednesday, we decided to make a cake... from scratch. He wanted it complete with candles and called it a "Burke cake"... when really it was what momma was craving at the moment. :) It also so happened to be his "half birthday," which got me to thinking that we should add this to our tradition list. He loved going to the grocery store JUST to pick up the ingredient to make his "Burke cake." He actually helped with EVERY step of making this! From cracking the eggs (yes egg shells were picked out) to becoming a whiz on the Kitchen Aide.

So yes, I am going to pretend that it wasn't a pregnancy craving... instead it was our half birthday tradition (that baby girl initiated and Burke deemed his birthday cake... I'm sure it was just her way of sending big bro some love from inside the womb.) :)

Singing happy birthday to himself. :)

Time to eat!

(Do you notice the white painted trim? Of course you didn't... there is a cake on the table! I decided to go for it after all... and we like it so much better. Reveal coming soon... or later... everything is seeming to take a lot longer to do now-a-days.)

And here is where I should have clued in that something was different. He refused to eat it! My dessert loving, sweet eater, refused his own cake.

So I improvised.

I figure baby girl needed a piece too.

There are a million and one more things that I could write, but these are the little quirks and stats that are standing out right now. 

Happy half birthday Burke! 

It's going by way too fast, and your only child status is dwindling. I'm taking in every ounce of you in all your two year old glory! Love you lil man!