Two years old. Where did the time go? As a mom of two I remember standing at my daughter second birthday thinking she seemed like a completely different person from the tiny baby who came home from the hospital. At 2, most toddlers run with more confidence and less falling, kick a ball forward, walk up and down stairs with support, and jump with both feet leaving the ground. The 50-word milestone is the big one at 2 years. Most toddlers have at least 50 words and are starting to combine two words like more milk or daddy go. By 24 months strangers should be able to understand about 50 percent of what your toddler says. Two-word phrases are the key milestone pediatricians look for at the two-year checkup. Emotionally, two-year-olds show affection openly, engage in parallel play alongside other children, and have very strong opinions about everything. Cognitively they engage in symbolic play pretending a block is a car, sort objects by shape and color, and follow two-step instructions. Talk to your pediatrician if your 2-year-old has fewer than 50 words, is not combining any two words, is not walking steadily, or has lost skills they previously had.