Happy Second Birthday, Caleb
(written 11/7, but uploaded 11/10)
Today, my baby boy turned two. He's officially a toddler.
We've got a pretty big day planned for him today. I baked a cake this year instead of buying one and I think it's going to turn out pretty well. I do know that I'm going to have to trim it so that both parts of the cake are level, but that's an easy fix. I'm really excited about it.
My in-laws have taken Caleb's great-grandmother out to get him a gift for tonight. She made the trip to see him for his birthday, and I'm so grateful for that. She didn't have to come, but she did it for Caleb. Thank you grandmother Pat!!
I have a big dinner plan for his birthday: Salmon with Mango-Pineapple Chutney, green beans, corn and bread. For dessert, the cake, obviously, with vanilla and chocolate ice cream.
After looking at all the gifts that he has gotten, it looks like Christmas at this house. I think it's a little bit much considering that Christmas is just around the corner, but both families enjoyed doing it, so I'm not complaining. 
The cake is beginning to smell the house up and I only have a few minutes until I have to get it out to cool.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY SWEET ANGEL!!!
Caleb's Monthly Forecast: Your big birthday kid is growing in every way. With growth spurts, exciting cognitive leaps, and an avalanche of new words on the way, you'll be amazed at what your 2-year-old can do.
A young preschooler wears his heart on his sleeve — and in his voice, his fists, his stamping feet, and his crocodile tears. You seldom have to guess about a 2-year-old's emotional state. Expressing emotions is healthy, even when they aren't happy ones. So don't feel you have to rush in to placate your child at the first pout or sad sniffle.
Let your child know that it's okay to be unhappy sometimes — it's simply part of life. Swooping in to vanquish the unhappiness sends the wrong message — that it's not okay to feel sad or mad. Solving every problem for your child also robs him of the opportunity to work through his feelings on his own.
What you can do: Label his feelings for him. "You're so mad at Mommy because she said no park today!" Let him know you have the same feelings, too, sometimes: "It makes you feel sad when we say bye-bye to Grandma. It makes me feel sad, too." If your child screams or hits when he's angry or upset, show him acceptable ways to vent his emotion, like punching a pillow or stamping his feet.
A toddler is aware only of what's immediately before him. But by 2, a child grasps the relative placements of things, and his understanding of space expands between 2 and 2 1/2. No, not his understanding of the cosmos but of where people and objects are in his own little world. This includes concepts such as "there," "where," "inside" and "outside," "go away," "near" and "far," "way up in the sky," and "over" and "under." He's gaining a better sense of size, quantity, and other spatial relationships.
You can see this new grasp of spatial thinking in the words he picks up and in his growing ability to follow directions: "Bring me the ball that's over in the corner." "Look on top of the bed."
Some ways to reinforce this new understanding:
• Talk about where people in his life are when they're not with him: "Daddy's at work." "Grandma lives far away."
• Give a series of simple instructions that involve different directions, such as first putting a toy on the chair, then under the chair, and then giving it back to you.
• Ask questions that prompt him to think about location: "Where do birds live?" "Where do airplanes fly?" "Where's the door?" (Don't expect a correct answer every time or turn it into a quiz; just make questions like these part of your everyday conversation.)
Time to trim the fat! Once your child turns 2, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you reduce his fat intake to less than 30 percent of his daily calories. You don't have to zealously monitor fat intake. Just switch from whole milk to 2 percent, and look for low-fat versions of cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. For the rest of his diet, provide a balanced offering of whole grains, lean meats or beans, fruits, and vegetables. Don't cut out fats entirely; your preschooler's growing brain and body depend on them for proper development. And many dairy products that contain fat are also terrific sources of calcium.
Soon your child will begin looking more like a "big kid," as his limbs and torso start to lengthen and his proportions begin to resemble those of an adult. He'll gain about 2 1/2 inches and 5 pounds this year. If you're concerned that your preschooler is overweight, talk to his doctor rather than instituting any dietary restrictions on your own. Kids' nutritional needs are different from adults', so you should get his guidance.
Your preschooler's vocabulary is on its way to becoming dictionary-thick. The typical 24-month-old knows about 50 to 75 words and is working the next big milestone: stringing them together into phrases and sentences. Two-word noun-verb sentences are typical at 2: "baby sleep" and "want milk." He'll probably begin expressing himself in longer sentences as the year goes by. If your child uses fewer than 20 words, he should be tested for hearing problems.
First sentences tend to be short (two to three words) and to the point: "Mommy help." "Play ball Daddy." Or a preschooler may echo a group of words she hears often, like "Go bye-bye" or "All gone."
Some ways to encourage your 2-year-old to speak in sentences:
• Expand on her bare-bones phrases in your reply: "You want Mommy to help you put your sock on." "Okay, Daddy will play ball with Lucy."
• Don't correct her grammar. Casually repeat the sentence using the right words, but it's way too early to point out mistakes.
• Don't insist your child repeat a full, proper sentence. Prompting, "Can you say, 'Mommy, help me with my sock?'" only disrupts the flow and frustrates your child.
• Read often in an interactive way, asking your child questions about what he sees on the page or what he thinks will happen next.
Not only that, but I found out that he has a wide foot. Great. Another thing of Jordan's he got. Is he EVER going to get something of me? 
