Last week our little Manny Boo turned 2 years old. He seems to be a pretty typical two year old boy. He still isn't potty trained (this didn't happen for Haven until 3 and one week), he still doesn't have as much to say as his older sister did at this age, he stills throws a doozy of a tantrum.
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Our very first picture of Immanuel.
Please comment and tell us how old you think he is in this picture. |
The thing that is most remarkable about our Immanuel is that he is ENORMOUS. Not just bigger than average or a little taller than the other kids his age. He is almost off the charts. He had his 2 year well baby visit this week and he is 95th percentile in weight and 97th percentile in height. He's almost as tall as Haven and he, of course, towers over JoJo. He has a 4 year old body, but a two year old brain.
Manny is a big sensitive teddy bear of a kid. He gets his feelings hurt easily. He is very easily stressed out and he is very cautious about new people and things. He loves to be swaddled just a like a little newborn, yet it is no easy task carrying around a "newborn" that is this size.
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| I do not like this hat! |
Although he can be a bit high strung he also has a ready smile and he loves kisses. Some of Manny's other favorite things are his baby sister Kat (who he loves to pet on the head just like a kitten), his big brother Haven, playing the drums, watching Baby Signing Times, and jumping on the trampoline.
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| But this cake is great! |
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| Manny and Katriel, another enormous child. |
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| Brotherly love. |
Things Manny does not like so much include Louise (she is quite the little bully), having any object taken away from him, and ice cream. Yep, a kid who doesn't like ice cream.
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| Kiss me! |
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| This hat is way cooler! |
From an emotional point of view, Manny has been our hardest kid. He has cried the most, slept the worst, struggled the most with attachment. Our time in Congo together was hard. He was sick and sad. He never slept more than an hour at a time and suffered with a terrible itchy and painful skin condition on his feet for months. He did not come to us easily. He would push away and hold his little body rigid. He did not want to be comforted, he just wanted to cry. It was heartbreaking.
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| I love a good road trip. |
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| As you can see Manny has a full head over JoJo. |
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| Big Man, Little Man |
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| Best buds and cuddlers. |
But over time, he softened, he cuddled, he learned to call me Mama. He turned into our sweet little Manny Boo. Or should I say our ENORMOUS Manny Boo. Happy Birthday, Boo Bear.
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| He is all about the blankie. |
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| Throw one to me Dad! |
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| Daddy and Manny's very first picture together. |
