3 Years Old

And then he was three.  No longer a baby, too big to be a toddler.  Officially in the "preschooler" category, he actually fits in better with kindergartners than with babies.  He is so grown up.

Really, I feel like that sums up this year for Sam - I feel like he grew up.  That sounds silly, given that he's three, but the changes I've seen over the last twelve months are just astounding to me.  I really cannot decide if he changed more between 1 and 2 or between 2 and 3.  I am rather certain that we will not see a year with this much development again.

He is so independent.  He climbs in and out of the car seat, shuts his own car door, uses utensils at meals, is self-sufficient in the bathroom.  He can play for long periods of time (30 minutes!) by himself as long as I am near by.

But he is still my baby.  He still needs a kiss when there's a boo boo, still calls for us to get him out of bed (score!), still climbs in our laps during the scary parts of the cartoons.

He is all boy.  Obsessed with all things truck-related, spoiled a bit by all the stimulus-related roadwork around town.  Loud at all times.  Jumps off of anything more than 3 inches off the ground.  Crazy coordinated, even his preschool teachers are telling me to sign him up for sports.  Dirty all the time.  Too busy to spend more than 3 minutes on a craft.

He is tenderhearted.  The worst punishment you can give him is yelling (much like his Mommy!).  In fact, if you yell at him he sends himself to his room to get over it.  I use time-outs because, knowing exactly how he feels, I can't stand to break his spirit.  Too busy to cuddle, but he surprises us with sweet comments and random hugs to brighten our days. 

He is social.  He says high to people passing on the sidewalk or walking into the restaurant.  He asks to have friends over all the time.  He plays with kids he doesn't know at the park.  He has his own friends, friends that I did not help him to make.

He is talkative.  He speaks in full sentences and speaks clearly.  He asks questions all the time.  He recount stories to you and uses sayings and phrases he has heard in proper context with proper intonation.  The adult-like style to his speech that often results is quite comical.

He is smart.  He knows what he wants and how to get it.  He knows how to push our buttons.  He knows his letters and how to count to 13 (my favorite number is twenty-teen).  He likes order to things.  He is good at puzzles.  He remembers everything you tell him.

He is becoming a better eater.  He'll eat almost anything I cook for dinner (although he sides with Aunt TT on the 'hard to chew meat'), even if the quantities aren't large.  He does not sit well at a table, but that is our fault.  We have indulged him over the last 2 years to encourage better eating.  Perhaps its time for that to change, too.

He is still small.  One of the smallest of the 24 in the two's program at his school.  Specifics to come on Wednesday...

I am so in love with the boy that Sam has become.  I actually am, at times, afraid that he will grow up.  Yes, he challenges and exhausts me, but I don't really want him to change.  From here on out he will only become more boy - and then more man - and I am afraid of losing the sweet child who I hear playing with his new truck in bed while he falls asleep in the next room.  Yet at the same time I am, for the first time, envisioning what the next stage will look like.  I can see myself taking him to elementary school and sitting in the stands at his games (which sport will he pick?!).  My dear friend, who sent her oldest son to UT this fall, has assured me that they can be both men AND your sweet boy.  I hope she is right!

We had a lovely day celebrating today.  Sam awoke to balloons on covering his bedroom floor and was treated to fruity swirl Trix for breakfast.  We met friends for lunch at the brand new Chick-Fil-A that just opened 5 minutes from our house (score again!), and Daddy got home early from work!  Out to dinner and presents before bed.  Without potty candy - because there's just some things you have to give up when you're three.

Happy Birthday Sam.  I love you today more than ever.

2 Months

When I think back to the day we took Annabelle's newborn photos, it seems like a lifetime ago.  So I guess the answer to the question, "Does it feel like Annabelle is two months old already?" would be yes.  While I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I am still adjusting to how to meet all demands required of a mom of two, it is true that Annabelle has worked her way into our family quite seamlessly.  It feels like she has always been here.

And how is Lady A doing these days?  Quite well!  I've moved her (well, she was pretty much there on her own) onto to an every-three-hour eating schedule, which has provided some much needed predictability to our daily lives.  It is, however, still time consuming, as she tends to fall asleep mid feed.  But the schedule has also provided some good momentum towards sleeping through the night!  For the last two weeks she has a regular time slot for her one and only overnight feeding, 3:30am, which gives me over 4 hours of sleep in my first stretch.  BUT occasionally she'll give us a really long stretch, like two nights ago when she slept from 11pm to 5:30am.  There is a light!

In general she is proving to be a more laid back baby than her brother.  Is it because she is the second kid or because she would have been anyways, we will never know.  But I am thankful there is always a reason for tears - hunger and fatigue, usually.

She is starting to smile at us!  Sometimes they are random, but sometimes they are clearly intentional - at us - and those are awesome.  She has a special fondness for the crazy 3-year-old that lives with us, and she'll stare at him for the longest.  Perhaps it is because there is the most to see when looking his way?  Whatever the cause, I'm enjoying watching them develop a mutual fondness for each other.

We continue to receive comments about how tiny she is.  In all reality, she is still the size of many newborns (specifics to come after well-visits on Wednesday!), even though she seems to have grown so much.  Several people have referred to her as a little doll, and I really do think she is just that beautiful.

She's not into toys yet, although she does spend a little time each day on her playmat.  She mostly spends her days moving between the swing, bouncy seat, playmat and crib.  She is awake for continually longer periods, though never more than an hour and a half.  And, without further ado, here is her list as of 2 months old:

Likes:
-Being Held
-Swaddling
-Having her hand held
-Sleeping in the swing

Dislikes:
-Being Gassy
-Being Alone

Sound The Alarm!

Sound the alarm - Sam is turning 3!  The big day is actually Monday, but today we celebrated with the Fire Party that the birthday boy requested.

We've been talking about his birthday on and off because I really wanted him to understand what we were celebrating this year.  It was so fun to watch him anticipate it, some days with more grace than others.  It has been a bit of a lesson in the passage of time.  Chris even taught him what 3:15 looks like on the clock today so that Sam would know when it was time to leave for the party.  

I made his cake again this year - it turned out OK.  Don't go comparing it to anything you'll find on Pinterest, but it looks like the Fire Truck that it is supposed to be.  And this year Sam helped!  He is excellent at dumping ingredients into the mixer.  It required a disturbing amount of food coloring to achieve that red color, and I'm not going to lie, it had a strong after taste.  But the kids, and their pink mouths, didn't seem to mind.  I may be retiring after this one though...we'll see what next year holds.

Given the presence of an 8 week old in our home, and the amount of formerly-productive time that I now spend nursing, I knew that a "location party" was in our best interest this year.  So after a bit of asking around, the Houston Fire Museum seemed like an excellent option.  All I had to do was show up with food, plates and favors.  And you know what, it was a really great place to have a third birthday party! 

The party room at the museum is complete with mock fire truck cab, the back end of the truck with hose hook-ups, a fire pole and a house to practice escaping from.  While we were setting up, Sam saw the lights on the fire cab go off for the first time and yelled that we had to get out.  Poor boy thought it was all a little too real and that there might be a real fire.  Chris had to tell him about 4 times that it was all pretend, these were toys, before he relaxed.

 

Once the room was full of his friends (13 by the time everyone had arrived), he had a blast.  The comfort that the familiar playmates brought to him helped me to see that these really are his friends, not just the kids of people we know.  As Mommy, it was so much fun to see him have such a ball at his party.  To watch them all play and pretend together was priceless.  Yells of "We're almost to the house!" and "We have to hurry!" filled the room.  There was crazy climbing up to the fire pole, each one gaining a little more confidence to slide down as the party rolled on.  And of course, the dress up.  They were all in and out of the fire outfits countless times - one little boy wore the mask for the entire party, and it was warm in there!  Most people had never been there before, so it was great to see them all entertained by something new and different.

The kids also got a little fire safety talk from the museum party coordinator.  I feel like this was a bit of a look into what preschool must be like.  But it was fascinating to watch the majority of the kids sit on the mat as asked to listen to the "teacher."  What a difference a year makes - two-year-olds would never do that!  And, to be honest, what a difference a "teacher" makes.  Not sure Sam would have sat so still if I had asked him to.

I wish I had captured a few more pictures, but trying to host, juggle a baby and enjoy the party proved to be a bit much for the two of us to balance in addition to the camera!  I wish I had a picture of Leo (who dislikes loud voices) holding Sam's hand during the presentation.  I wish I had a picture of Sam in full get-up.  I wish I had a family picture.  I wish I had a picture of all of the red hands and mouths after the cake was consumed.

It was a wonderful party, a great way to celebrate with Sam's friends.  Stay tuned for more on his actual Birthday...

Easter 2012

I think that Easter 2012 shall go down as the Year of Many Egg Hunts. Sam has become quite skilled at the sport of "Easter Picking," as he has taken to calling it. Not sure which part he enjoys more - the actual hunting or taking time to "crack" each one and gasp with excitement at the treasure inside. This years treasures from the various hunts included bouncy balls, stickers, band aids (?!) and of course, candy. But let's start at the beginning...

The first portion of our Easter celebration was at a friends home, at what appears to be an annual egg hunt for the little ones. The good news is that this year I remembered Sam's Easter Basket! They "hid" hundreds of eggs, all of which were found in less than 10 minutes. It was hot, but I think the adults had as much fun hanging out as the kids did eating candy.


The party resembled an advertisement for smocked and seersucker children's clothing. Are we in the South? I think so! We tried to get all the kids together for a picture, but that didn't work too well. Sam and Miles wanted their backs against the tree, too, instead of standing in a line so everyone could be in one shot. Oh well.

That week at school Sam's class had an Easter Party. That's right, when you go to preschool at a church you don't have to have a "spring party," you actually get to use the word Easter and do crafts that involve the cross. Woohoo! But, in the two's class they don't let parents stay for the parties - too disruptive for the kiddos. So all I can tell you is that he seemed to enjoy himself and that he was less confused than were his Aunt and I when he came home with band aids in his eggs.

On Saturday we had to make preparations for the Easter bunny to come! I learned this year that Chris doesn't like dying Easter eggs because he hates the smell of vinegar. I knew about his vinegar aversion, but didn't realize it turned him off from the egg dying process. Good thing Aunt Kate and Mommy really enjoy the process. As does Sam. Mostly, he likes taking the eggs in an out of the cups. We ended up with some less than attractive colors in the end because he didn't seem to care that orange and blue don't layer well.

Then it was the big day! The Easter Bunny came while we were sleeping a left a basket outside of Sam's bedroom. It had a new Dumbo DVD in it. The "bunny" was sure he'd like the elephants, but totally forgot about the circus train that makes regular appearances! Little man does get scared when the big men set up the circus tent in the dark and sad when Dumbo gets separated from his mom, but he loves the dancing elephants!

Anywho, we beautified ourselves and made it to church in time to get good seats. This was Sam's first year to participate in Flowering the Cross (he was proud of the giant sunflower he took with him for the purpose), and we prepared him at length for how it would work and that he would have to leave his flower up there. When we got to church he get telling me, "Its really high! Its too high! Look how high!" I couldn't figure it out until he said, "How will I reach?" He as looking at the permanent cross affixed to the back wall of the sanctuary and was worried that he'd never be able to get his flower all the way up there. So cute! And he was reassured to know they'd have a low one for all the kids to reach.

After a wonderful worship service and our best attempt at a family picture, it was home for brunch. It was not that lamb that I know my brother would have preferred, but I think it was still tasty! And while I was cooking, the kids opened baskets from Gammi as the Bunny - err, Uncle Matt - hid a multitude of eggs outside. After we ate, it was outside for one last egg hunt. It was during the last, private hung that Sam gave up on waiting until the end to open his eggs. With each one found he would gasp, "ahh! Another one!" He would hold it over his basket, crack it open, announce what was inside, dump the contents into the basked, toss the empty egg into the basket, and move on. We also ventured into the world of confetti eggs this year, at big hit for an almost-three-year-old boy!

We ended the celebrations with a quick trip next door to the neighbors' crawfish boil. Sam is getting to know the other little kids on our street and it is fun to watch him play with neighbors. He is already talking about when the Easter Bunny will come again next year!

And most of this post has been about Sam, as Lady A is a bit small to participate in the festivities. But here is a sweet picture displaying her small stature. That would be the hand of a 6'4" man holding our little "nugget of a person," as he liked to refer to her. Ultimately, though, he has decided to call her Bananas.