Peter (Almost 3)

Peter is just two months shy of 3 years old, and I often find myself at a loss for word to describe him.  He's just so Peter.  In many ways, he's our easiest child.  He's the best sleeper, best sharer, best helper, best at leaving mommy alone... He's just the sweetest... except when he's not, then he's absolutely inconsolable, unreasonable, and incoherent.
I just adore him, though.  He's my little buddy.
He has a special bond with his baby (one of Jane's old baby dolls that never got any love from her).  He takes her to bed with him every night and drags her around during the day.  I'm not sure if I would call it "nurturing", but he certainly is quite attached.  We lost "baby" for a few days and bed time was a little rough for Pete.  One night he said, "Mommy, tomorrow I will get my super hero cape on and I will FLLLLYYYY all over the house until I find my baby and I will save her."  He's going to be a great dad some day.  Jane eventually found Baby in the play kitchen cupboard and brought her to me saying, "The baby has been crying and crying all days long because she has no daddy."  It was a sweet reunion.
Despite all of his love for his little baby, he doesn't care a lick for Alice.  She is just someone that takes his cars or slobbers on his blanket (the very worst offense).  Otherwise, he really doesn't acknowledge her at all.

He loves cars and it often seems that's all he thinks about.  I was asking him the other day what we should get daddy for Christmas.  Jane quickly piped in "A jackhammer" (and I have no idea where that one came from), but Peter decided on "a race car."  "What should we get for Jane."  "A pink race car."  "And what should we get for Alice?"  "I think she would like a little baby race car."  He'll be easy to buy presents for.

He calls balloons "balloonies" and spoons "spoonies".

He is constantly tripping or bumping his head or falling down.  It necessitates a few kisses or maybe being held, and the really bad ones require his blanket with which he is very much attached.  He can't go to bed without it.  Although, when the blanket was out of commission after a night time potty accident, I discovered the kitty hooded towel, is the best blankie back-up.  (Peter seems to have a thing for kittens... at least he's often pretending to be one.)

Peter was a rockstar at potty training.  He had been showing signs of readiness almost a year ago, but with the coming baby, I wasn't ready.  When the pediatrician found out at Peter's two year check up that he knew all his colors and shapes and could count to 10, he warned me not to wait to long with a kid that smart or I would lose my optimal window.  But I was dreading potty training.  Jane took nearly a year to start going potty without any help at all, and Peter, well he's a wild card.  He could be the best or worst, but not likely in the middle.   Fortunately, he was awesome.  Beyond awesome.  That first day I loaded him full of juice and snacks so he was peeing every 10 minutes.  He had an accident on the first go (naturally), but after just one accident, he figured it out and would go sprinting off to the toilet by himself on the first day.  I didn't even have to remind him to go try all the time.  I was fully prepared to have him in pull-ups at night for a year if need be, but he surprised me and woke up to go potty in the night right from the start.  He's doing great.  He can go to the bathroom completely by himself and he's quite independent.  When we're in public restrooms, he wants to go in the stall by himself.  He just has a couple pairs of jeans that he can't pull up by himself, because, as he always says, "jeans are tricky."

He has the BEST giggles and for some reason, pretending to push out poop leads to fits of contagious giggles.  I can't help but laugh along with him.
Now that he's potty trained, he's a lot more aware of his penis, he holds it and frequently comments, "My penis is so long."  Sorry if that's too much information, but potty training a boy has been so different and often very amusing.