Almost Two

My Wyatt-Boy is almost two years old.

There's been so much going on the last month, with Christmas and a new baby, that it has kind of snuck up on me.  I only have a few weeks left, and I will have a two year old.

Two years seems like a big deal.  Before two, you generally give your child's age in terms of months - 15 months, 18 months, 21 months.  But once they hit two?  They're just a two year old.  Or a two-and-a-half year old.  Or an almost-three-year old.

And then before you know it they're three, then four, then five.  I can totally see how these years are going to start flying by!

But I can't think that far.  For now, I just need to hold my almost-two-year old.  

I need to remember all the sweet things he says - how I can understand so much of what he says now, how he's starting to speak in sentences - but also how sometimes he talks to me so seriously and I still can't quite figure out what he's saying.  

I need to remember how he's getting so independent - how he scoots to the other end of the couch from where I'm sitting and looks so proud of himself for being a "big boy" - but also how he still gets upset sometimes when I leave him in the car with Derek or my mom while I run into the store.

I need to remember how he stretches his little arms out to grab the railing and tries so hard to walk up our (rather steep) stairs - but also how he still pauses at the top of the staircase, reaches his arms out, and says "up", because he'd still rather have me carry him down them.

He's growing up.  But he's still just almost-two.  He's going to need me less and less, but for now, he still needs me.  

And while I'll encourage him to continue to be independent and learn new things, I'm going to hang onto the ways that he still wants my help too.  For as long as I can.