Our Family: Toddy Your Three

Toddy your three...

How can this be...

In some ways you still seem like a baby to me...

In other ways you have really started to grow up...

You are as cute as they come…

A voice deep and raspy

Smile mischievous

Honey blond hair with the cutest curls ever

(I want to leave your hair long forever by the way)

You have huge glorious eyes that I describe as hazel with blue rims...

They twinkle when you smile.

Your body is thinning out and your head is big and round

My heart just melts when I look at you because you are just so dang adorable.

To describe you over the past little while I would use words like:

Busy, active, rambunctious, mischievous, defiant, silly, crazy...

But you also have this funny, cute, innocent, sweet,

tender, empathetic and loving side...

I have said more than once that I have met my match with you...

I do not say this lightly and I say this in the nicest way!

My mom tells me that you are a splitting image of moi when I was 2-3 years old

So I guess this is what they call Karma…

The truth is I wouldn’t change a thing…

One of my favorite times to see you is first thing in the morning

with your squishy pillow face and big poufy hair...

You like to bounce into my room for morning time cuddles...

I am often much too tired to face getting up...

(Between night feedings, coughs and colds you boys

have been keeping me on my toes through the night lately)

Through my deep exhaustion I somehow still have this strong sense of joy

to have you or your brothers waking me up.

It feels so tender and pure to have your sweet little body

curled up next to mine to welcome in the morning...

I try so hard to treasure these moments...

(Even when I am crazy tired)

It’s a treat to hear your sweet little voice saying hi to me in the morning...

You love to say “I love you” or “you are my best friend mom”

Even though within minutes you are saying "can we go downstairs"

I always ask for a few more minutes...

Which turns into a few more after that.

You are patient with me in the morning (well kind of)...

Thanks for that

To be honest your toddler stage has been really challenging at times...

As mentioned already you are quite the “cheeky” monkey

I never knew what feeling bonkers was until you turned two…

In the course of a day I go back and forth experiencing intense feelings of

joy, frustration, happiness, frustration, empathy, frustration, love, exhaustion and frustration…

At times I feel defeated,

Other times I feel immense joy at your perfect little being.

You drive me “insane” because I can't leave you for a second…

You always find a way to get into “something”…

You are oh so clever

No matter what lengths I take to childproof...

I am always amazed at how that “something” leads to such huge messes...

For example you love to open the fridge…

Not because you’re hungry

Just to poke holes in the eggs,

spill the milk or take lids off of containers.

I often catch you licking and sucking the top of ketchup and dressing containers.

Yucky I say…You laugh and run off…

You do this just for fun or to drive me insane…I have yet to figure this out yet

Once you are out of my sight and it becomes quiet in the house

I know you are into something

I call your name…No response

Next I hear the scamper of your feet followed by hysterical laughing

You always go in the living room and hide behind the couch just waiting to be caught.

During these moments you usually leave a trail of spillage

of whatever food you got your hands on.

In these moments I have learned it is easier not to chase after you

as this leads to a much larger mess.

Instead I try really hard to calmly with whatever patience I can muster up

talk to you and convince you to come out from behind the couch

and help me clean up the mess.

You have spilled full bags of milk on my floors

(including the rug in my living room)...

You constantly climb on my counters and turn on taps to

"wash your hands"…

Somehow most of the water ends up all over your clothing and the floor…

You love to pump the soap by putting squirt after squirt in your hands and in the sink and sometimes for good measure you will rub it on the walls and mirror...

You eat my chap stick and destroy my makeup,

Markers and crayons are often chewed to bits

You have poured out multiple tubs of laundry detergent

You love the toilet and can be found playing in the water

and splashing it all over the place...

The other day you actually dunked your head in the toilet to make Ethan laugh.

Until recently you have had no desire to go pee or poop in the toilet.

(however I must say you have been doing better over the past couple of weeks)...

Your preference is to wear a diaper and you seem to quite enjoy giving me a hard time putting it on you…It’s even worse trying to dress you.

Sitting still is ~~sometimes~~ always hard for you...

If you don't get your way you are very stubborn...

Just the other day we were walking from a playgroup to our van

you were tired and didn't want to hold my hand

(we were on a busy road and it was cold and snowy out)...

I was already struggling to hold Colton in the carseat, a big diaper bag and a baby wrap when you decided to go limp and scream and yell for me to let go of your hand...

You would not stop…I paused and talked calmly to you…

I gave you some time to have your melt down…

By this time Ethan was starting to act up and we were all freezing…

So I ended up having to drag then carry you somehow to the car...

Oh how I love these moments with you my son (wink, wink)!

On your birthday we said goodbye to your soo soos...

I have to say I feel bad taking them away...

I have been trying on and off for the past 6 months but you just love them...

However your teeth are starting to push out a bit and

I don't want that to be an issue for you in the future.

You are doing really well with this challenge…

Sometimes you will take Coltons…

But you will usually give it back when asked…

I am sticking to my guns this time so you can

thank me for your beautiful teeth one day.

You love your babas (bottles)…

I give you one or two a day...

You are a picky eater so seeing some milk go down your belly is a good thing…

You love Ethan but you also bicker with him often…

This drives me crazy…

You copy his every move and call him your best friend...

You love to kiss and play with Colton

Your favorite game to play with him is chase…It is so cute to hear the two of you giggling as he army crawls his way around the house chasing you…

I love that you have two brothers to love and hang out with…

My hope is that you will all be best friends and look out for each other.

You are such a funny, kind hearted little person who loves to laugh

You get your daddy and I going pretty good sometimes

You never leave us without a fair share of hugs and kisses...

Above all you are so dang innocent and cute that no matter how you act

we can't stay frustrated with you long because when we look at your

beautiful little face and dear eyes you win us over every time.

I love to just watch you

You make me laugh because you are so busy and

you do and say some funny things...

You love to do the opposite of what we ask...

I know it is a stage and I know it will pass…

Most of the time I can see the humor in it.

You have no problems making messes...

I have caught you on more than one occasion drinking water from puddles,

and dipping your face in the muddy ones…Not sure why

You have poured three full tubs of laundry soap out on the floor to date

You like to draw on yourself, jump in mud, get wet, put bowls on your head after eating from them (and say look at my hat moma)

You are always the dirtiest looking kid on our street…

Hence my nickname for you...”My little orphan”...

But it just suits you and it makes you that much cuter

Dirty little kids are happy kids!!

Over the past little while some of your favorite things are:

-playing with the train table

-dinosaurs, cars, planes and jets

-tool box (you love to fix things)

-flying the helicopter with dad

-superman rides and the lion game

-playing outside with your bikes

-hide and seek

-going to McDonalds with Aunty Shayna

-The beach and cottage, storybook gardens, the park, childreach, Adventures on Wonderland, birthday parties and kidscape

-Favorite books – You are not big into reading but recently you have ask me to read “The paper bag princess &I have to go” (and stayed still for it!!!)

-Favorite shows/movies – Toopy and Bino, Jurasic Park, Frozen, Polar Express, Mosters, Letter Factory

Every day you will tell me "I love you so so much"; "your awesome"; "your cute"

Your smile can light up a room

Baby I love you so much and my heart is so happy that you want me…

At night when you wake it is me you call for

When you fall and hurt yourself it is me you cry for

And when you just need a cuddle it is me you ask for

I am one lucky girl

I am learning so much alongside you on our parent child journey

You are living without an ego and that helps me to find my true essence

Through parenting it has sparked in me a need to venture on a deep soul searching journey that has become transformational...

I thought I knew it all...Wow was I ever wrong...