3 Years Old

"Mama, your baby is growing up!" Bennett has been telling me this for a month or so now. He thinks it's funny because I'll grab him and smother him with kisses, saying "Noooo!!! You're my baby!!!!" The first time he told me, we were laying in bed, and it was a week or so before his birthday. I was telling him that soon he'll be 3, no longer 2. He'll never be 2 again, and he said in a very matter of fact tone, "Your baby is growing up." Just that. I don't know how he put together that thought, but it was just a fact to him.

Bennett is now 3! Well, he has been 3 for three weeks now, but we were slow to take his pictures. The best thing about turning 3 according to Bennett? "You can drink juice. ALL THE JUICE."  A few weeks before he turned 3, I'd say his toddler tantrums really increased in frequency. It seems like everything out of his mouth is "I want..." in a super whiny voice. Ugh, it's like nails on a chalkboard. In some ways, he hasn't been as bad as I expected a toddler to be. He does beautifully during meals, especially out in public. He is fantastic about sitting in his seat, usually quietly, even if he doesn't want to eat. It's actually a joy to take him out to eat (unlike Caroline). He is still pretty fun to take out to do things too, although he is all about asserting his independence and telling us what he wants, which is usually to not leave. Bennett is definitely very assertive with us, at home, and with relatives, but much less so with friends. The little interaction I've seen with him and his classmates at daycare, I can see he isn't assertive at all. I think if he can find a balance between his home and daycare assertiveness, he'll be at a great place in life. He can definitely stand to be much less demanding at home, and I think he gets pushed around too much at daycare, so he could probably stand to throw a few punches there. But I will say, he isn't a hitter, for sure. I think that's great. There are times where Caroline will slap him, or push him, and he's able to restrain himself. It can't be easy when you're 3, but he manages to hold himself back.

Speaking of assertiveness, every day it is increasingly more difficult to take pictures of him. Usually he wants to do a silly face, but more often than not, he doesn't want his picture taken at all... unless Caroline is having his picture taken. Sibling rivalry is at its finest now, in our home, from both kids. Even if we had duplicates of every toy, book, piece of food, it wouldn't solve all the fighting. Without fail, they always want what the other person has. I think Bennett has successfully taken all the stuffed animals out of Caroline's room, although there are a select few that she is obsessed with. He has learned not to touch those, or if he touches though, to expect she'll scream in his face until she gets them back. But that being said, poor Bennett can't play with a single toy without his sister trying to take it away. Despite all the fighting, he is really great with her. Every day, I see him try to make her laugh, which isn't hard to do since Caroline is clearly very enamored with her big brother. Just the way he looks at her, tilts his head and goes, "Hiiiiiiiiiii Care-whoa-line!!!!" it's clear to see he loves her too. But it's not just her, Bennett is so sweet with Alfie. Every time he sees Alfie, he'll make it a point to give him a kiss, then stick his face in front of him and say, "Hiiiiiii Alfieeee!" He's so genuine and sweet with them. A few times he has told me he wants to be a Daddy when he grows up, and it's clear to see that he really means it.

Despite all the assertiveness and tantrums, Bennett is still our carefree, easy going child. It's easy to get him excited to do something fun, like go to the zoo or park. He likes to know the schedule of the day. It is definitely much easier on everyone, when I take the time to explain to him what we're going to do and when we're going to do it. He loves to be outside, and with the warm weather, all we hear is, "Can I go outside? Can I go outside? I want to go outside. Can I go outside?" So annoying, but good for him, I suppose. But it's also a reason I think our daycare is a great fit for him, since they go outside every morning and afternoon.

Bennett has been really curious about everything as of late. "Mom, do we have bones? Where are our bones? Why?" "How does the water get there?" "Why does a volcano explode? Where does a volcano come from?" Dinosaurs, lakes, clouds, the human body, what animals eat, he has questions about everything. I feel like we can't go through books quickly enough. Not only is he curious, he retains quite a bit of information too.

Other than outside and books, Bennett is still really into cars and vehicles. He likes to sing songs, and will come home singing songs from daycare. Dance parties are really fun for us and we have them a few times a week. I think his favorite songs are 'Fireball' by Pitbull and 'Happy' by Pharell. He also asks for the musical 'Hamilton' which is awesome because I'm obsessed with it right now. Yesterday in the car, he randomly said, "Showtime! Showtime!" Ahhh! I love it. He tells me I'm Elsa from Frozen, because I like to sing, and then he wants me to sing "Let it Go." I'm going to keep enjoying these days, while he thinks I'm this amazing singer, until he realizes that I'm horrible and asks me to stop singing. 

Bennett loves to watch tv and videos. He's always asking to watch. I'd say he watches maybe an hour a week, and a half hour of that is usually because Joel is gone for an evening and I need to keep him occupied while I put Caroline to bed. I don't think it's too much tv, and sometimes I wish we'd let him watch more, because we could probably get more done if we let the tv do the babysitting, but I hate the idea of his brain melting as he turns into a tv zombie. Plus, Caroline would be with him too, and she's definitely too young to be watching tv. I think if Bennett was an only child, he'd be watching more tv, like doing a family movie night on the weekends. Maybe when Caroline turns 2 and screen time is a little more acceptable, they'll be watching more shows, but I don't know. I just can't stand the idea of letting them sit there and stare at the screen, just so I can get something done. Bennett is okay about keeping himself busy, but he definitely prefers to have one of us sitting in the same room with him while he plays, or playing with him.

Dream Big, Bennett!

Two of Bennett's biggest struggles now are bedtime and going to the bathroom. He doesn't want to do either. He usually needs Joel to sleep in bed with him, or at least lay there until he falls asleep. Then with the bathroom, he can go pee by himself, but usually wants one of us to take him. It's kind of frustrating. I think I need to go back to bribing him, because if he can do his pees by himself, life will be a lot easier for us. But he really just hates to go to the bathroom, like he doesn't have time for it. He definitely after takes after his mom in that respect, but the problem is, by the time he goes, he can barely make it onto the toilet. Ugh, but he's doing pretty well with potty training, so I don't think we can complain too much.

Bennett is still a pretty good eater. Again, he likes to assert himself, and veggies are a thing he likes to not eat. He does like corn and broccoli though. Edamame is totally a favorite of his, and a great food to offer when we want to ensure a nice long meal. All other veggies, unless it's tomatoes in pasta sauce, are not for him. He will not eat them, and will eat around them. But I'd say he does a good job of eating many foods. Tilapia, beef, chicken, and duck are all okay with him. There are some foods, like shrimp and salmon, that he used to eat but will no longer touch. He'll eat them when they're in other foods though, like when we go to dim sum, so I know it's only because he likes to make choices. But I'm happy that he likes seafood and dumplings. It makes me happy to see that he likes Chinese food. Bennett definitely loves crab claws at dim sum, and can eat a ton of wontons.

Overall, I can't believe he is 3. I mean, I still remember the first moment I saw him, when I said hi and his little eyes snapped to my face. I'm guessing it's a moment I'll never forget. But he is definitely at an exciting age. I really love hearing his thoughts. Traveling to Italy and Toronto this year will be exciting, because I'll get to know what he's actually thinking. Even last night at Costco, I let him pick out which fruits he wanted to eat (blackberries and raspberries). I could do with a lot less whining and demanding, but the flip side is, I get to hear what he is thinking and it's so exciting. If I had to make a prediction now, I'd say he'd be a teacher or doctor when he grows up, because of how sweet he is with Alfie and Caroline. He'll probably drive a Jeep or SUV, love to do outdoors sports like biking and running. I think he'll be a lot like Joel actually. Kind, carefree, easy going, open to new ideas, and love to learn.

Showing off his muscles

Like father, like son

Despite all these wonderful pictures of a smiling Bennett, he wasn't a fan of taking pictures. Luckily, he was willing to give me his big, genuine smile for about 5 minutes and I got what I needed. I don't know how he's going to be a beautiful child star with that kind of attitude though...

Bennett Turns 3!!

We celebrated Bennett's 3rd birthday with a special pancake breakfast of french toast and ham. Notice the ham cut out like little 3's, hearts and flowers. Bennett got to pick our morning activity and chose to go to the Williston Treehouse to play. A wonderful choice since it was SO CLOSE to home. I worked late the night before, then decorated Bennett's presents, so I didn't go to bed until 2 am. Then Caroline got me up at 6 the next morning, but it was worth it to see Bennett's face in the morning. He was happy when he saw the balloons and presents, but the first thing he said was, "Where's the cake?" I explained that we didn't have a cake, because his party was next weekend, to which he said, "Okay... Where's the cake?" I guess he is like his mom. After Williston and naps, we went to Byerly's to let Bennett pick out a special treat. He chose a cupcake with a gummy worm on top. Little did we know, he just wanted the gummy worm. Honestly, had he told me that was all he wanted, I would've just bought him a bag of gummy worms. Then we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for dinner and some ice cream cake. He ate plenty of that cake, so I don't think his sugar levels were low on his first day of being a 3 year old.

11 Months

 
Well, this is it, the last month Caroline's age is referred to in months (technically, although I'm sure I'll do it until she's 2). It is so bittersweet because I am SUPER happy I won't have to do updates monthly, but yearly (so I still have to do one next month) but that means she's growing up! This month was one of the months I actually shed a tear for the loss of my baby because Caroline is walking. WALKING! Like an adult! Actually, more like stumbling around like a drunk college student, but she's up on two feet. The one good thing about this is, her wardrobe is going to get a whole lot better now that she can wear dresses all the time. She has been walking since September 1st, so it has only been a little over two weeks but she has come so far in those two weeks. Now she can walk across a room confidently, and catch herself better before she falls. But a walker. She's a walker. Babies aren't walkers because walkers are toddlers. Caroline is a toddler! This is NOT okay. It is one thing for her to be an 11 month old baby, but not an 11 month old toddler. Ugh... my little baby.

This has been a rough month for Caroline, with her ear infection and antibiotic shots. Plus, just before the ear infection she had a cold, or maybe it was teeth, because she pushed out teeth 7 and 8 this month. Either way, I think she spent most of her 10 month of life not feeling well. Poor little thing! Because of all this, I don't think she spent a single night sleeping in her crib. Not a single one! I think the most she slept in her crib was until 2 am one night. Otherwise, she has been coming into our bed around midnight each night. Some nights, having her in bed is super nice. Like this past Sunday, she was so wonderfully cuddly. Every time I'd move, she'd just snuggle in a little closer. However, most night are spent with her turning horizontal, and kicking me nonstop. We may have a big bed, but she is too big to sleep sideways (plus, it doesn't help that Bennett has made it into our bed a few nights too). It is nice waking up next to Caroline though. She scrambles to sit up and has a huge smile on her face. Then she likes to babble and hit us until we acknowledge her. Like, she will literally make sure I'm awake, then crawl to Joel's side of the bed and hit him until he wakes. It's really kind of sweet, and when it's at an appropriate time (like after 6 am) it's really the best way to be woken up.

Caroline has become super chatty this month. "Wah wah wah. wah waaaahhh wah. bah bah bah. wah wah wah." Bennett thinks it is hilarious and will walk around saying, "wah wah wah" too. Sometimes she'll say, "ma ma" and mean it, but usually she just babbles. She has started clapping, especially when we say, "Yay!" She also shakes her head no, and it seems like she means it. Like if I offer her more food and she is full, she will shake her head no, or things like that. So I think she actually means it. She still flicks her lips with her fingers when she wants to eat. It's kind of fun that she can communicate a bit, but it's not too hard to figure her out. She is always super super happy during the morning, and if she is ever whiny it is because she is tired. Then after daycare, she is hungry or tired. Really, being hungry or tired are the reasons why most people are in a bad mood... but she is still predictable... unless it's the middle of the night. The middle of the night is really a mystery. She usually insists on eating, and yes, she insists. She will cry and scream with Joel for an hour or two, but the instant she eats, she is fast asleep. At 4 am, she has a ton of gas and is super fussy, but this has always been the case.

I have to say that Caroline is proving to be a happy baby, but likes things her way. When she is happy, everything makes her smile and laugh. Bennett is usually really funny to her, it doesn't matter what he does, but it is apparently hilarious. She likes being scared and playing peekaboo. If she doesn't like something, she'll quickly and persistently push it away, and likewise if she wants something, she will relentless work to take it. Bennett was at least a bit distractible, and we could give him something else to occupy his attention, but that is not the case with this little girl. I have always been against calling little girl 'princesses' but there is no more accurate way to describe Caroline.

She likes finger foods, but still isn't a fan of purees. Caroline has always liked ice cream though, so I thought she'd be a fan of yogurt. She had a few bites once, but has shown no interest in it since. I don't think she's a picky eater because she will try all solids we give her, but she may have more issues with textures, so it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out. She is beginning to like music and will dance when she hears something she likes. Caroline loves baths and playing with water. She hates having her hair done, but it is necessary since her hair is long enough to get in her eyes. The ends are still a little curly, which I love. She has quite a bit of hair growing in too, so I think in a few months, she'll have super thick hair. Hopefully she grows to like bows and headbands, because I'm planning a future full of them.

Last month with my little baby (because I refuse to call her a toddler). Ah! I don't think I can take it! These past 11 months have flown by too quickly, and I am not okay with it! But I am excited to see what she takes interest in. Books, music and dance were and are Bennett's favorite. Caroline still doesn't have much interest in books, but she is getting there with the dance and music! Either way, I do see her continuing to be our family's little princess.

51 Weeks, cont.

51 weeks! Finally, the last week of weekly photos before his one year old pictures. These pictures were taken a few days late, over the weekend, of course. Life has been too busy on the weekdays, especially with Joel out of town last week, ECFE class on Thursdays, and Valentine's Day on Friday. So many times have we wanted to give up on these weekly photos, but we made it (more or less)! Week to week, it is hard to justify finding the time to take photos, since he doesn't seem to change much, but we've been going through photos and videos in preparation for his birthday party, and it is incredible to see how much Bennett has changed!

Bennett has become an amazing little kid these past few days and weeks. He LOVES to talk. Literally from his waking moments (One morning, I walked into his room, looked into his crib and saw him laying there, staring at the ceiling. He pointed up and said, "dung dung!") and talks until he goes to bed. Today when Joel picked him up from daycare, they told him he talked all day long. He likes to talk when he points to things, sometimes he just sits and talks, talks, talks. It'll be exciting when he actually has words to say. Right now he has three words in his vocabulary: Mama, Dada, and dung dung. He tries to say 'ball' but it usually comes out 'ba!' or 'da!'  For as much as he talks, he seems to understand us as well. He knows when we tell him not to do something, although, he doesn't always stop. He likes to listen when we explain things to him, likes it when we point out things. The other day I was teaching him how to turn the lights on and off. It take too long for him to try to flip the switch on his own, and then snap his head up to look at the light. He is really a lot of fun right now- but requires as much energy as he is fun. Nonverbally, he communicates too. He knows how to sign for milk and when he is 'all done.' He claps when he is happy or likes something, wiggles when he eats something he likes, and dances when he hears a catchy tune. He knows the words 'clap' and 'dance' and will do (most of the time) both when we ask. Bennett will give kisses (big slobbery, open mouth ones, that sometimes involve a tongue poking around) and blow kisses (less frequently, but it happens). He knows how to wave bye, only he doesn't do it all the time, or quickly enough for people to see. It is a lot of fun to communicate with him.

Also at daycare today, they told Joel that he has two buddies- Landyn and Silvia. Silvia is the little blonde pushing Bennett on the car and Landyn is the son of the teachers in his room. They said they follow each other around all day and usually Bennett is usually in the lead. I'm glad he has friends and other kids so close to him in age, because there are a lot of young babies in his room.

Bennett is still working hard on walking. He can walk holding onto one of our hands, and does it quite well, but really doesn't have much of a desire to walk on his own.  90% of the time he attempts walking, it is because we're having him do it. Someone told us over the weekend that they say kids either development mentally or physically first- so either talking or walking. I guess Bennett is going the talking route, but he is definitely active enough without the walking, so I'm okay with that. He loves climbing onto the couch and jumping. I know we shouldn't encourage it, but it IS building his leg muscles, so we let it slide.

In terms of playing, he likes his motorbike. He does a good job of climbing onto it, and likes to press the button to play songs. But his favorite toy right now is probably his blue ball. He likes to roll/throw it with us, but will also play on his own. Bennett also likes when pillows and blankets are thrown into a pile on the floor. He flops onto them, rolls around, and stands then falls onto them. He is definitely an active kid!

Bennett's favorite kitchen 'toy' is anything he can get his hands on in the cabinets and drawers. We put a bunch of plastic bowls, plates, cups and containers in the island, for him. He makes good use of them!

It is hard to believe he will be a year old in just a matter of days. A year ago, we had stud walls up in our home, and now we have a beautiful house and a little boy- definitely not a baby anymore! It is unbelievable how Bennett has gone from a teeny little baby to a curious, talkative, wiggly little boy. He still only has eight teeth, but he started out with none, so that's an improvement! From day one, he liked lights, music, and for people to talk to him, and that hasn't changed. He is still pretty easy going and flexible, but a light sleeper. It'll be exciting to see if these things carry on year and year!

Photos are all courtesy of Daddy this week. He did a great job!

51 weeks

49 Weeks

Now that Bennett is 49 weeks old, it is nearly impossible to get him to stop for a second and pose for a picture. He is definitely all boy. He love jumping, crawling, rolling and flopping onto pillows, going up and down stairs, on and off of furniture, and getting into anything and everything. Bennett seems to move nonstop and be entertained nonstop.

Here he is in a Chinese New Year outfit from my #1 Uncle and Aunt.

48 Weeks