3 Years Old

My little big 3-year-old.  

How I wish I could pause our lives right now and continue to soak up every ounce of Ben's sweetness.  One of my biggest fears becoming a parent was that I would end up with a bratty, rude child.  I'm not sure why I was so worried - I think Greg and I are generally pretty nice - but so far, Ben's sweet and polite disposition, his passion for dancing and tickles, and his contagious giggles have proven that I had no reason to worry.  

Our day to day routine is full of moments where I absolutely DIE inside over how much love I feel for this kid.  In the mornings after he wakes up, he will typically walk over to his table to sit down and play with a toy.  He will let me know when he is ready to come out by getting back on his bed and talking straight into the camera and saying "I'm all done going night night - I had a nice nap"!  A few weeks ago, I had noticed he had gotten out of bed but then never let me know it was time to come get him.  I went into his room and he was under the table in the complete darkness and all he said was "peak-a-boo, mama".  Followed by "I want some chocolate milk, please".  

After he finishes his milk it's IMMEDIATELY time to "play Thomas", which is still what he says in reference to the front room/train table/all his trucks.  Monster trucks have totally taken over our house right now and he can entertain himself playing forEVER, (as long as he knows I'm watching him from wherever I happen to be).

One of his favorite activities is to take a morning walk (or drive) to the park to see if any other kids are around to play with/chase.  He absolutely loves any little kid who will chase him or be chased by him.  He engages them by running past them, stopping, looking back with an encouraging smile and then cracks up once the game of chase begins once more.  I love how friendly he is and how quick he is to say "I want SOME MORE".

Once back home, he is a champ at helping me with certain chores.  He is eager to please and loves to be praised for: helping collect the garbage, spraying the Windex when we are cleaning the windows, and wiping various things (he will tell me "Mama, I need to get some of my wipes, please").  He also loves to wash his hands (which is nice, considering potty training MUST happen soon).  

At night time, it is generally fairly easy to get him to bed, as long as he gets to pick a few books out to read.  Recently, we rediscovered "I'll Love You Forever" and Ben wants to read it almost nightly.  He will say some of the words along with me and it takes ALL THAT I HAVE not to break down every time I read it.  Once we are done with books, and Ben starts to catch on that I'm about to turn off the light, he will say "I want some mama", and needs me to snuggle with him for awhile.  And this part is so funny to me: We ALWAYS lay on our right sides, I am (obviously) always the big spoon, and it has been like this pretty much every night since he was born.  

I will often lay with him for a few minutes until I think he is starting to fade, but as soon as I start to back away to sneak out, I'll hear the littlest voice again.  

"I want some mama".

I love his crazy, BLONDE (with a gangsta cowlick) hair.  I love his beautiful, against his genetic odds, blue eyes.  I love how when he sees a picture of a unicorn, he calls it a "popcorn". I love his goofy facial expressions - particularly his furrowed brow.  I love how he tilts his head to the side, makes a "that was so nice of you!!" face, when he says, "thank you"! I love how he asks me "Hey Mama, whatcha doin'" 1,549 times a day - and when he KNOWS exactly what I'm doing, he will tack it on in front of a comment - i.e. "Hey Mama, whatcha doin' you're makin' the bed"!

Ben, in a nutshell

A few other updates:

We had our LAST speech therapy session.  We were both so sad that we would no longer be seeing Katie every couple weeks, but at the same time, feeling so confident in Ben and the massive progress he has made over the past year.  On our last visit, she told me how blown away she was with his speech lately, and even commented that he is conjugating verbs like a champ for his age!  I hadn't even noticed, as I obviously have no idea when that is supposed to happen, but she was right - he does (sometimes)!  She also said that it feels so great to know that he essentially "graduated" the program - in that he isn't continuing on with additional therapy after finishing with her.  

I'll be taking Ben in next week for his 3 year check up and I'm curious to see how he is measuring up in height and weight.  My assumption is still tall and still "medium" in his weight.  His 3T jammies are much too tight, and he is starting to transition into 4T clothing.  It just dawned on me that he will likely be getting shots - which he hasn't had since he was 2!!  Knowing how much more aware he is, I'm curious/nervous to see how that goes.

I (WE) love him more than words.  I worry that I love him TOO much at times, but that is impossible.  The good news is that I think the feeling is mutual :) Ben's frequent, unprompted hugs make me melt inside and I dread the day his bumps and bruises are no longer magically healed by my kisses.