This boy has changed in so many ways since his last update. But he's the same in many ways, too. Here's Wells Benjamin in a nutshell at this current exciting (and exhausting!) age:
On trains...
Trains are still the love of his heart! He can tell you about boxcars, flat cars, cabooses, engines, and on and on. He got lots of new trains and equipment for his train table at Christmas, and his favorite was definitely Cranky the Crane. He loaded up cargo like nobody's business! :) He gets so excited when he hears a train in the distance, and he lives for train-hunting with Daddy. He loves wearing his Thomas the Tank Engine PJs and train shirts whenever he can. We have made multiple visits to the train museum in Savannah, and he just can't get enough..
On being a big brother...
Wells is a great big brother (most of the time. Ha!). In the last few months, he and Grayer have started playing together a lot more. Wells always makes Grayer laugh, but we constantly have to remind him to be gentle. He doesn't realize that Grayer is not as big as he is and can't quite wrestle as hard as he can. You can hear Wells saying "Grayer Bear" a million times a day as he talks to or about his little brother. He is not the greatest at sharing his toys with his brother; although I think he has gotten a little bit better in the last couple of weeks.
On potty training...
We started cracking down on potty training right after Thanksgiving, and Wells did AMAZING. At first, he would not really tell us when he needed to use the bathroom (and would tell us "no" if we asked if he needed to); we would just take him to the potty very often and make him try. Very soon after, he got the hang of it and started to let us know when he needed to go, and he has been a rockstar potty trainer ever since! He rarely has accidents and has done great on trips in the car as well (we traveled to NC and Atlanta over the holiday break). He only wears diapers when he is sleeping now.
On school...
Wells is still in the 2-day class for 2-year-olds at a nearby church preschool. He has done really great and seems to enjoy it. If I mention that he has to go to school that day whenever he wakes up, he automatically says he doesn't want to go - the boy is a serious homebody - but he is fine when we get there. From what I can tell, he likes music class a lot and the playground (obviously!). For snack, I pack him a variety of different things in case he's feeling picky that day :). A typical snack looks something like this: carrot sticks with ranch dressing, marshmallows, crackers, raisins, and apple juice. He is very proud of the work he brings home from school, and I love seeing all of his creations :) His Fall school pictures turned out ridiculously adorable, and I am convinced that the photographers are magicians.
On the pacifier...
This kid loves, and I mean LOVES, his paci. Way back when, he was almost broken from it, but then Grayer came along. And Wells would just take his paci. Then he was almost broken from it again, but he got sick for a few days and got super attached again for comfort. He can't have the paci at school, and we try to not give it to him in the church nursery or when we are out and about. But he loves that thing so much. He has gotten really attached to it again lately, and I don't know when he is going to be ready to let it go. I am thinking that we are going to just start having to limit it to nap/bedtime and car rides (he always asks for it in the car).
On the blankie...
Wells has always been a fan of his muslin blankets (and only the muslin ones. don't try to give him a cotton one!). He has one - or two - with him at naps and bedtime. And, just like the paci, he likes to have one in the car. If he is sitting and watching an episode of something, he will most likely ask for a blankie.
On singing...
Boy likes to sing. And he knows LOTS of songs. He has learned a number of songs at school and also from little Mother Goose videos he likes to watch. I love listening to him sing and hum.
On smarts...
Wells is so stinking smart. He knows shapes and colors and numbers and (most) letters like the back of his hand. The other day he pointed to something and told us it was an octagon. His memory is great, too - he remembers everything!
On eating...
Wells has officially hit the picky toddler stage. He used to eat everything, but not so much anymore. He still has a big appetite, but he has to be coaxed into eating something he's not crazy about. His favorite food will probably always be pizza. He can't quit it! He could eat his weight in blueberries and strawberries - in fact, I usually have to stop him from eating too many so he doesn't get a belly ache! He loves condiments - specifically ranch dressing #getsitfromhismama. Some of his favorite snacks are carrot sticks (w/ranch), tortilla chips with salsa, and fruit snacks. His drink of choice for the last couple of months has been strawberry milk. And DO NOT try to give him any non-Nestle strawberry syrup - he will know the difference and refuse to drink it. #particular
On the "terrible twos"...
Honestly, Wells has been a great two-year-old. But I will say that he has started acting more "toddler-ish" in the last couple of months. More disobedience, crying/whining when he doesn't get his way, and telling us "no." Eric and I are very careful to discipline him so that he knows these are unacceptable behaviors, but we also know that some of them are inevitable and that he is just being a toddler.
On talking...
Wells is a big time talker. Always has been. His vocabulary is insane. His favorite/most used phrases currently are:
- "Oh...okay." He says this all the time.
- "I can't like _______ ." (As in, he can't like something we are having for dinner that night!)
- "Mommy/Daddy, you like ________?" (Whatever is on his mind. For example, the other day when I picked him up from Granny's, they had been in the yard picking up sticks. He asked me if I liked sticks. #random)
- He says "Daddy" like a little British boy. No clue where he got the accent for that one word!
- "But I reaaaalllly want it." This is what he says if we tell him he can't have something.
- He thinks the singular noun for "clothes" is "clo." If we tell him he has to get clothes on, once he has one item on, he will say, "I got one clo on." Haha!
- He has recently started saying the cutest thing. After I get him out of the tub, I'll mention that he is "all nice and clean," or I will say about a blankie fresh out of the dryer that it's all nice and warm/clean. Wells has picked up on that and uses the phrase a lot now - not exactly in the correct way every time, though! For example, he'll say "oh no, I'm all nice and dirty!!!!" Love it :)
On miscellaneous...
- Like his mama, Wells is not a morning person. He is a slooooowwwww waker-upper. If he wakes up on his own, he may just lounge in bed for a while before getting up. And if we have to prematurely wake him up from a nap or in the morning, we have to do it slowly, and he is still going to hate it. He is usually very grumpy if we have to wake him up.
- Wells HATES to have anything sticky or messy on his hands. After he is done eating almost any kind of finger food, he lets you know immediately that he needs his hands wiped. Boy will play in the dirt and be all disgusting, but if he gets syrup or glue or crumbs on his hands? He is not okay with that.
- For the last month or so, Wells has become a HUGE Daniel Tiger fan. I am loving all of the little songs they teach for how to handle situations! Wells will sing "When you feel so mad that you want to ROAR, take a deep breath, and count to four. 1-2-3-4." And then he'll say, "I feel calm." Ha!
- My parents got him a tablet for Christmas, and just recently he has been LOVING playing games on it. Eric found him a little train game (almost like a strategy game for kids), and he will sit and play that thing forever.
- He does not like to see anyone sad (especially crying). In fact, if I want him to try a new food, and he won't budge. I will tell him that it makes me so sad that he won't try a new food. I will look and sound very sad (and maybe even pretend to cry), and he will very quickly reach for a piece of food, eat it, and declare, "Mommy be so happy!" Manipulation? Yes. But it works like a charm!
- He still loves books. We like to read every night before bed, and he will sit and flip through his books during the day, too.
- He is like his daddy in lots of ways - he likes to be goofy and make people laugh, and he is VERY energetic.
- Wells' hair is still WILD. The longer it gets, the more unruly and curly it is. It has a mind of its own, and if he sweats, it curls up so much!
- He loves being outside. He cannot get enough of the outdoors!
- He is kind of a chicken. He gets this one from me! He gets very scared about certain things. He will hear a funny noise, and get very concerned. "Wha-wha-what's that noise????" Or every now and then he will get spooked about something and say that something is going to get him. He has to be coaxed into certain activities or see some of his friends doing something before he decides to give it a try. At Grayer's birthday, we had a really big bounce house w/slide, and Wells wasn't too sure about it. Once he saw his friends on it, though, he was game!
Wells is such a fun little dude. He is sensitive and caring but also wild, energetic, and feisty! He brings so much laughter and joy to our lives, and we love him to pieces!
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