"I do it!"

Yep, it's the "milestone" of the "I do it!" stage. And, boy, are we excited! [Fake, forced smile]

Actually, it's nice in several ways. It's fun watching your kid(s) reach certain milestone and stages, and this one, for the most part, is a funny one. He loves to read his books... by himself. He loves to drink out of a cup... by himself. He loves to zip up the zipper to his jacket... by himself.

You see, now I can tell him to go turn off the TV and he feels like a big boy. I can tell him to go get his jacket and he does it with a pep in his step. I can tell him to go throw away his diaper and he does it enthusiastically. He's been doing these things for a few months, but just recently he's actually been able to express the fact that HE can do it... by himself.

He's been talking up a storm lately, too, which is SO fun to hear and also extremely funny. The sentences are what kill me. The other day he brought me a baseball mitt full of tennis balls and said,

"Here you go, Mommy."

Umm... I'm sorry, what?!?! It totally took me by surprise! He's been saying words since before he was 1, but putting multiple words together has been a new thing around here and I LOVE IT. Usually when he does say multiple words it's with a prompting from us, but now, it's clear, that he can also do that... all by himself.

He's also been saying the word "sorry" all on his own when he knows he's done something wrong, which I think is huge. It means he most certainly knows the difference between right and wrong on some level and knows that the word "sorry" is used to placate the situation. Whenever he has to go to timeout, we don't ever get him out until he says sorry, and sometimes he won't, so we leave him in timeout until he can say it. Now, we don't even have to cue him. It's awesome. :)

Rusty will be two in two weeks and I think this upcoming year will be the best yet. Two years that I've been blessed to have a happy, healthy boy. 

Having a child is such a whirlwind of a ride and every day I'm literally floored with the new things that he's able to do and say. I love it. I love all of it. Afterall, if he can do it, "I do it"!