Beckett’s Cowboy-Themed Birthday Session!

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Cowboy-themed Birthday Session in Pike National Forest, Colorado | Chattanooga Wedding Photographer

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Our little guy is TWO-YEARS-OLD!!! We celebrated with a cowboy-themed birthday session in Pike National Forest, Colorado, when we visited family. 🙂 Hands down, parenting became SO much more enjoyable and rewarding for us from 18-months-old to now. It’s not been a breeze by any means, because his tantrums, teething, and sleep regressions have been brutal, but our interactions are so much more meaningful and fun!

It’s hard for me to articulate all the developmental milestones since last post six months ago, because they aren’t as as easy to identify, like when he began crawling or eating food. Beckett’s obviously grown physically (like in three shoes sizes!), but what we find ourselves more blown away by is his rapid growth in intelligence and social skills . (I don’t want these developmental posts to come across like I’m bragging on my kid, nor do I want it to become about comparing kids. I’m just simply in awe of God’s design for development of human life. I’m so grateful to have the blessing of experiencing it firsthand, so I don’t want to forget it!)

Anyways, we feel like he’s an actual friend now. He constantly wants to share experiences with us, do what we’re doing in a big boy way, and recognizes AND labels our different emotions. Our house is full of mischievous laughter when he plays jokes or begs to be chased. I could go on, because it’s so special to grow this type of bond with someone!

Beckett’s also become quite the little, tender caretaker. When we cough, sneeze, or something of the sort, he asks us if we’re okay. We’re also asked if our food is “good” or not. 🙂 He makes sure we have water or food if he does; takes trash from our hands and throws it away for us; helps carry my keys and bags to and from the car; and “clean up house for mommy.” He’s just as attentive and tender with his plethora of stuffed animals that he demands we carry throughout the house every day…all day long. He talks to, read to, and feeds them. So, we asked for a boy baby doll for his birthday. (I’m writing this after his birthday party, so I can confirm he got the doll! It’s the sweetest thing to see! …please refrain from making the “he needs a sibling” comment.)

The amount of memory this kid has is unreal. Beckett started calling family members by their name, recognizes places we go and calls them by their name, and will notice the smallest change in any room in our house (the compulsion is real!). He even accurately recalled memories that happened weeks prior and tells us stories about them!

Okay, I don’t know how to stop this post, because I just LOVE this season with him. It’s horribly hard and exhausting, really, but the good moments are sooooo good. THANK YOU, JESUS! Events, likes, and experiences that family may be more interested in are after all the heart-bursting cowboy-themed birthday session photos! 🙂

Here are a few big events that have happened in the last six months:

• COVID-19 and several quarantines – don’t even want to talk about this! But I am proud of all the fun activities I came up with!!!
• Started REALLY loving pushing toys around the neighborhood and making us carrying him AND his toys back up the hills, ha! Favorite push toy: mower and doll stroller; favorite attire to push in: in diaper, in blue polka dot apron and chef’s hat, in regular clothes with sunglasses and a hat
• Started using the potty at 21 mos!
• Grown even more obsessed with trucks, books, painting/drawing, and Tilly (who he’s started calling “Tessa,” ha!)
• Started a garden and love helping in it, especially watering it!
• Near miss with the Easter Tornado of 2020
• Started being able to hike alongside us.
• Learned that packages are probably “gifts.”
• Dances when mommy sings, “Shake yah booty.”
• Asks to give “hug”
• Loves smoothies and calls them “malk”
• Loves to clean and keep things tidy. He often comes behind us and closes cabinets, doors, or places thing back in their rightful place. He can’t walk by toys that are tipped over without stopping to put them right-side up! He also grabs small crumbs off the floor and says, “Uh-oh mess” and throws it away.
• Lots of hikes and playdates, most commonly with Logan, Kynlee, Atlas, cousins, and Auntie Hope
• Swam in pool for the first time at Gigi and PopPop’s house! He was scared the first two times, but then started kicking and paddling with ease and spunk! On the third time he even jumped off the side without fear! 🙂
• It’s commented that he spends a lot of time naked. 🙂
• Water is now called “waka”
• Auntie is now called “anteen”
• Blankie is now called “blanken”
• Likes “caka” which is coffee to him, but actually almond milk
• Enjoys being in the hiking pack while mommy/daddy mow the yard
• Lots of visits from Mimmie & Bubby and Gigi & PopPop
• Dollar Store Birthday party with Mimmie, Bubby, Auntie, and Justin
• Floated down the Ocoee River in an inflatable two-person boat
• Started doing pretend play
• Started imitating mommy taking photos with his wooden camera (mommy loves this!)
• Slides without help and can’t pass sliding up!
• Started jumping with two feet off the ground
• Explores construction vehicles in our neighborhood while mommy/daddy bake in the direct, full sun
• Started being watched one day a week by Miss Suzanne and her son Greyson
• Still very intolerant of dairy and soy
• Frequently says “happy day!!!!!” which he learned from hearing the Happy Birthday Song
• Uncle Grant moved here to go to Southern
• OBSESSED with Blippi
• Still crazy about hanging out with men
• Mommy hiked me up and down a waterfall by herself!
• Attempted to visit Papaw and Nana, but were notified that we were directly exposed to COVID-19 RIGHT after we got through security to board our plane. So, we quarantined, but got to go out afterward! We spent a week in Colorado! We got home two days before his birthday—yay for saving money on a flight ticket! 🙂