2-and-a-half {jay}

Halfway between 2 and 3!! That's where we are now-and all is as it should be.

Jay is all boy-daring, rough, cuddly, smart, inquisitive, expressive, busy, happy, loud, strong, sweet, persistent, stubborn, caring, and more.

Weight: 45 pounds
Height: 40+ inches
Size: 5T fits best, sleeves and pants are too long right now, but that is becoming less of a problem with each passing day, some 4T things still fit, some do not.
Shoe Size: 11 and 11 1/2

Jay is usually up around 7-7:30 and gets out of bed himself, stands at the gate at the top of the steps and calls down the steps saying, "Mommy! Sun wake up!" and the day is off and running. Naptime is usually 2-5 or somewhere in that neighborhood just depending on our day. Bedtime is around 9 these days. Jay likes for either Mommy or Daddy to lay with him when he goes to sleep. I know Daddy tells him stories (huntin' stories) and when I put him to bed we usually look at a book, say our prayers, I sing "choo choo" as he calls it which is a little song I made up about a year ago and we sing it virtually every day.

Jay is usually a great eater and likes Chicken (Chik-fil-a is his #1 favorite by far),"taco and beans", cheeseburgers, yogurt, all cereals and oatmeal, meatloaf, lasagna, chips, snacks of any kind, turkey sandwiches (with Miracle Whip just like Mommy) corn, and fruit, fruit and more fruit.

He's not "big" on sweets, but does like to make brownies, eat oreos and chips ahoy and will eat a few bites of cake at a birthday. He loves Jello, but really just likes it because we use the Halloween Jello Jigglers mold to make it. Yes, I realize that Halloween is looong over, but he likes it. (He asks for "Jack-oh-lan Jello".)

He drinks milk, sometimes with chocolate-most of the time without, apple juice, "clementine" (orange) juice, capri sun and takes a cup of water to bed. He also drinks sweet (decaf) tea when we have tea at home.

Jay loves tools, machines, heavy equipment and being outside. He is especially into hunting right now and wants to look for deer out the window (which is convenient since we have woods in our yard and Daddy has several deer that are basically coming to eat in our driveway at dawn and dusk). Three days this week he's come to get me because he has gone to the window and actually seen a deer, he comes to get me and when I go to look ITS STILL THERE! He will tell you all about "his" deer and refers to them (correctly) as a buck, doe and fawn. He actually will tell you he found a "monster buck". Thanks, Daddy.

He loves his Daddy. Often asks me "where's my friend Daddy" or "where's my best buddy Daddy". If Daddy is home then its Daddy Jay wants most of the time. He loves me too, he just loves the change when Daddy is around.

He can be really sweet to Lizzy. He can also push the limit and get himself into trouble with Lizzy. Its a constant back and forth right now--do I love her? do I want to squish her? Should I give her a kiss? Should I take all of her toys?--decisions decisions.

Most notably JAY TALKS ALL OF THE TIME.
He asks lots of questions, talks the entire time you're in the car, gets a little ticked off if anyone else is trying to talk, but might get quiet or hide in front of a stranger or even if someone he has met before comes to our house.

Some things we want to remember:

"No like it."
"No have some." (usually when we're asking him about going potty)
"I don't nope" (instead of I don't know)
We say,"Jay, tell Lizzy you love her" He says "I love her".
Malentime (Valentine)

He is growing bigger and stronger and braver with each week that passes. Each day is an adventure with this guy. He keeps us laughing and usually stunned by all he knows, says and does.