3 Years Old!

Ian has grown and changed in many ways over the past year. I am sure that is true for most two-year-olds, but in Ian's case, he learned some things this year (such as chewing) that are typically learned long before one turns two years old, so it seemed like he had more dramatic changes this year than a typcial two-year-old. When he turned two he was wearing diapers, drinking from a sippy cup, only eating pureed food, sleeping in a crib, and unable to go up and down the stairs independently. Now he wears underwear 24 hours a day, drinks from an open cup (or can use a straw), sleeps in a twin size bed, goes up and down the stairs independently, and can chew regular food. It's going to take me awhile to remember I don't have a two-year-old right now. I have a 4 month old, 3 year old, and 4 1/2 year old.

So many parts of a birthday celebration include food - a birthday cake, special meals throughout the day, etc. It was so hard to celebrate his birthday the past two years except for buying him gifts to open. This year was different! He loves his pirate ship chocolate (vegan) birthday cake! He had a bagel and EleCare for breakfast. We then went to gymnastics and the library. Usually we go through the drive thru at Dunkin Donuts on the way home for lunch. Because today was Ian's birthday, I promised the kids a trip to McD's for lunch. It was Oliver's first time inside a McDonald's. Nadia ate 6 nuggets, fries, and a tiny ice cream cone. Ian had a hamburger. They shared an apple juice. They both had a blast in the playland.

 

I was exhausted when we got home from our 4 hour adventure. I am sure one of these days I will think it is a breeze to take the three kids out and about, but I haven't reached that point yet. When we came home, Ian had a glass of EleCare and a homemade sugar cookie. After Ian's nap, I took the kids outside in the backyard and pushed them on the swings. Then I made homemade pizza for dinner so that Ian could eat pizza for the first time. I made one regular pizza on a pizza pan, and then I used large cookie cutters to make shaped pizzas on a cookie sheet (ex. teddy bear, gingerbread man, heart, etc). Some of those I made without cheese so Ian could taste pizza for the first time. He LOVED it. He kept saying "mmmm mmmm this is so good" and other similar comments. It did my heart good first of all to see him readily accept a new food and secondly to know I had succeeded in making his birthday special for him. He had some birthday cake for dessert. I realize his birthday party was on Sunday, but I was still able to make today (his actual birthday) special for him. Yahoo!!! 

1. He has recently learned how to do the forward tuck roll. He can do it all by himself, even on a flat surface (first they learn how to do them on an inclined mat).

2. I can't seem to break him of the habit of using the word "warmy" to describe how he wants his milk (EleCare).

3. Sometimes he gets the words upstairs and downstairs mixed up (ex. we are upstairs and he'll say he wants to go upstairs but obviously he means downstairs).

4. He still doesn't pronounce the "d" in Nadia's name.

5. He says "thank you very much" without prompting many times a day.

6. He rarely remembers to say "please." We're working on that.

7. He's still traumatized by my absences this summer. He talks about it multiple times a day, and he still panics sometimes when I leave the house (ex. to go to choir). For example, he completely flipped out on Thanksgiving morning when Paul took him to go to the bathroom right before we left for Paul's parents' house. I was in the van (waiting for Paul and Ian), but Ian was convinced I was leaving without him. I wonder how many more months it will take for his fears to subside.

8. He loves to eat bagels, and I learned last week I don't need to break them into pieces for him any more. His other favorite foods include cookies, crackers, brownies, chocolate cake, applesauce, pop tarts, jelly toast, bananas, hot dogs, fries, fish sticks, fruit snacks, and cream of wheat.

9. He adores Oliver. He asks to hold him multiple times a day and often reaches over and "pets" Oliver's head.

10. He sleeps facing the foot of his bed with a sheet and his special small blanket over him, a dragon stuffed animal under his left arm, and a LarryBoy stuffed animal under his right arm. His nap ranges from 30 minutes to 2 hours long each day. He usually sleeps at least 10 hours at night (8pm - 6am). We're trying to get him back to 11 hours at night, but usually he ends up in our bed for part of that last hour.

11. When he has to go #2, he likes to sit on the potty for a LONG time after he's done going. He seems to like sitting on the toilet. I have no idea why because it's not like he brings reading material in with him.

12. His favorite DVD at the moment is "Where is God when I'm Scared" (VeggieTales).

13. He has strong opinions about everything he wears -shirt, pants, shoes, underwear, socks, and jacket.

14. We're working on teaching him not to throw things (other than balls), hit, shove, kick, and grab. He has a long way to go in these regards.

15. His favorite cereal is Cocoa Puffs.

16. His favorite way to bounce on the tumble trak at gymnastics is the "doggie bounce" although sometimes he prefers to meow and calls it a cat bounce.

17. He can easily eat a small hamburger at McDonald's.

18. Lately he's been going down the stairs sitting on his bottom. For many months he had been walking down the stairs.

19. His favorite cookie is a lemon cookie (the store bought cookies with lemon creme in the middle).

20. A typcial prayer of Ian's goes something like this: "Dear God, thank you for Mommy, thank you for Daddy, thank you for Uncle Maurice, thank you that Mommy isn't at the doctors, thank you that Oliver isn't at the doctor's, thank you that Nadia can go to Cubbies, and thank you that Daddy can go to school. Amen."

21. He loves to rough house with Daddy. He also loves it if I give him an airplane ride or spin him around or anything like that.

22. He loves to run around the house with Nadia.

23. He is really into pirates. He now sleeps with Captain Hook and has spent many, many hours playing with the Fisher Price pirate ship he received on Sunday.

24. He does NOT like to wear jeans or sweater vests. I hope he gets over both aversions asap!

25. He loves to sing and/or play musical instruments. He recently started operating the CD player. He'd operate the DVD player if we let him (he's tried).

26. A few months ago he decided he didn't want to wear a bib any more.

27. He still has sensory issues, but they are resolving. Sometimes he still has a fit over something like a little water getting on his shirt or his sleeves being rolled up.

28. He enjoys many books and peg puzzles.

29. He expresses an interest in playing games, but 99% of the time he lacks the self control and patience to play a game.

30. Many times he tunes me out. I have the hardest time getting his attention. I have to raise my voice with him, which I never had to do with Nadia, just to get his attention some times.

31. He loves playing with Nadia even though they both have trouble sharing. There are times when he accepts help from her far more readily than he accepts it from me.

32. He desperately wants to go to Cubbies. Paul took him tonight because they were going caroling at a nursing home. I was at choir (with Oliver), but Paul said Ian definitely isn't ready yet. I am thrilled though that he wants to go. Also, it cracked me up that tonight he was upset he didn't have a vest (he's seen Nadia wear a vest to Cubbies for the past 15 months). It cracked me up because he has tantrums if I put a sweater vest on him on a Sunday morning.

33. He's very affectionate. Many times a day he asks for hugs, kisses, or for me to hold him. He also says "I love you Momma" or "I love you, too" many times a day totally of his own intiative.

34. Lately he has been bursting into tears anytime I tell him "no." I cannot wait for that phase to end!

35. His problem solving skills are excellent.

36. He's very good about holding my hand when we're in a parking lot, on a sidwalk, on a street, etc.