"I love you, okay?"

 Before life keeps barreling by, I want to do a post on our Ian Forrester. Over a month ago now he turned three years old. THREE YEARS OLD, people. And, do you know what I realized? I don't necessarily want life to be frozen or to stop because life right now is so good. Three is hard, you guys. Don't get me wrong. Three is much different than two, but three is also so, so fun. And I've been promised by a few mamas that it just keeps getting better.

He's always in motion, this kid.

What's so great about this age? Thanks for asking. I'll tell you :)

He's started making his toys interact and talk to each other. He's moved from piling them all on top of each other and saying that they are "playing rugby" to having them interact, chat back and forth, and still "play rugby," among other things. If you want a window into how you interact with your child, just wait until they hit this age. He uses the polite, kind words as well as the rushed, busy words. It's one of the most fascinating and amazing things to listen to him play on his own. Sometimes I just park myself right outside the door to the room he's in and listen to his toys interact.

Another favorite is catching him reciting the words from a book we've read a million times. Recently I caught him reciting the wolf's lines to The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs. It's so funny and impressive to listen to vocabulary words beyond his age come out of his little mouth, with inflection and prowess. Seriously, it's amazing.

His imagination has been so fun to watch unfold! I loved watching him parade around the house in this get-up one day.

He's gotten more chatty about what he's done at PMO or in MOPS and how he interacted with the other kids. It's hard sometimes because he doesn't have answers to questions I have, so I mostly just wait until he decides there's something on his mind. It's then that I can step into his world and his thinking. Good practice for when he's older, I imagine. In this way, boys seem to be different than girls (and I learned that also at the conference I went to).

Naptimes are SO easy these days! Today he had lunch and while he was eating his I was fixing mine. He came to me and said, "Mama, I am ready for my nap now." Without delay, I stopped what I was doing and followed him to the bedroom to start his bedtime routine. Welp, if you insist, little one... ;)

In the way that naptimes are so easy, bedtimes have been MUCH harder. We hit age three and bedtimes became a battle of wills. Between needing a banana, an extra drink of water, his blanket pulled up, the light on or off, music on or off, etc., etc., etc., it was a serious challenge of patience. And I will admit that I failed more than I excelled at keeping patient. I am hoping that we've turned a corner, since it has been going better lately. Whew. Parenting is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure.

PUZZLES! This kid loves a good puzzle. It's so fun to watch him work, trying multiple pieces without getting frustrated. Some puzzles become like old friends to him. He does them over and over again, explaining what he is looking for or which one is needed next. Yesterday he did a puzzle of Noah's Ark (Thanks, Gramee & Grandpa!) and told me where to put each one. When we were done, he said, "Good job helping me with the puzzle, Mama!" Such a sweetheart.

For a day (tops) we were a concerned that he felt insecure in our love for him because he would (and still does) say, "I love you, okay?" But he's not asking permission, he's just saying it and wanting a response. To which we always respond, "We love you, too." I hope I always remember his sweet little voice saying it, usually followed by a darling hug and a kiss. This boy. He sure knows how to melt us.

We recently went apple picking and then we went and got a few bushels of seconds apples. Ian likes to help process the apples. And by that I mean that he likes to use a butter knife to cut up an apple for himself. It's wonderful! He's a HUGE fan of the apple chips(!!), apple butter, and apple sauce we've been making.

Ian adores his brother with a love that astounds me daily. I cannot imagine a better relationship between these two in this phase. It's so relieving to know that Ian can be trusted with Owen. Owen's facial expressions and giggles are his most joyful when Ian plays with him or interacts with him. It's just the best. May it only grow!!

He can be caught reading books to himself often, these days. I got a new set of library books while he was at PMO and as soon as we got into the house, he sat down and rifled through each one from start to finish, perusing each page. Books are almost always lying on the floor in his room and in the guest room, where we have books available to him. They are on the floor because he does drive-bys throughout the day, sitting to read a book or two (or more!) before moving on to the next thing.

Ian's getting to the point where he can do tasks on his own for long periods of time. This doesn't happen all of the time, but it is happening more and more frequently. He can put all of the blocks away without needing my help or the motivation of having someone help him. Sometimes just the promise of getting to do the next activity or have a snack is all it takes.

Almost every day he bikes to the mailbox. It's so fun that he's able to drive his own little vehicle. Right now he's only been on the tricycle, but it may be time to break out his bike with training wheels soon. He loves biking and you can tell that he's quite pleased and proud of his ability to propel himself forward. He also bikes down to the playground down the street when we go.

Ian's starting to understand, reiterate, and follow some rules. Sometimes he states, "Now Mama, you need to hold my hand when we're in the road." Yes, yes we do! Another rule he follows is looking both ways at the stop sign before crossing the street. I am blanking on others right now, but we're learning together.

He's wearing size 3T and starting to wear 4T, because we don't have a ton of clothing in these sizes. Ian wore size 24 month for so long and then I think I blinked and he breezed through 2T and straight into the next two sizes.

Yesterday we had his 3 year appointment and he's just staying right on track... such a tall lad! At 3 years, 1 month he is 41 inches tall and in the 98.13%. He's grown 4 inches this year, since he was 37 inches at his 2 year appointment. He weighs 38 lbs and is in the 92.98%. Since his height and weight are equally proportioned, the doctor said that his BMI of 15.89 and in the 46.82% is great! She said to keep doing what we're doing. Woo!

Ian's still a great eater, eating most vegetables and almost all of the same foods as us. There's the occasional meal that he will refuse to eat, like the baked apple stuffed with sausage and celery and apple and whatnot that we had last week, but this seemed a reasonable thing for a toddler to refuse. And it doesn't happen very often. I have my fingers crossed, don't worry.

His favorite toys continue to be his animals, although I would argue that playing with Owen (and Owen's toys) is, by far, his favorite past-time. He also enjoys the robots, his new lego train, puzzles, building with blocks, playing with his swing outside (getting pushed "way up high!"), and playing with Leif. He likes to "cook" next to his stumps that Papa and Grandpa hauled into our yard.

But, of course, wrestling with Papa is still the absolute best. Whether it's in a pile of leaves, or learning how to scrum in the middle of the living room, or rolling around on the bed, he's always game for some one on one time with his Papa. It won't be long before there are three of them doing this! Someone save me.



Parent's Morning Out (PMO) continues to be such a wonderful place for Ian. He adores his teachers and the activities they do there. This year, especially, he seems to be taking in much more of the interpersonal interactions that he did last year. It's so fun to be able to hear about what's important to him as it comes up on the car ride home and throughout the week.

At this point, he's still not interested in potty training. The pediatrician was comforting & reassuring in telling us that we are doing the right thing, waiting on him. We'll see!

He's cracking jokes, telling stories, and learning a lot about how to play with other kiddos. There's so much to learn in this life, isn't there!? From zero to three, it's incredible how much they change, grow, and learn. Life's remarkable and even more so when you follow the life of a baby turned toddler turned child.



He keeps us on our toes, pushes us to places we never knew were possible, and continues to teach us so much about joy, grace, and love. This journey will never be dull and it will never be slow-paced. When his feet his the ground in the morning, he seizes the day with more gumption than anyone I've ever known. I cannot wait to see what's in store for this three year old, but I can wait. I'm going to cherish each day of this adventure as it comes. So grateful for you, Ian Forrester!!!

We adore you, darling THREE YEAR OLD!

Ian Forrester, thanks for letting us come along for the ride. 

Your exuberance, determination, and laughter bring far more than we ever could have imagined into our lives. We are so proud to call you our son. And ever-grateful for our front row seats in your life. You are going to move mountains, sweet boy.

Springtime Joys

I'm never one to wish the time away. I appreciate each season and weather change. This year, though, I am so happy for the switch to springtime weather. With an active two year old and a newborn baby, getting outside makes all of us so happy.

Springtime in our yard is wonderful. The weather is mild and pleasant and the mosquitoes haven't hatched yet. Days are getting longer and therefore the time to play outside can be extended to after dinner, as well as all day long. It's lovely.

Two nights ago Jim and Ian stayed outside planting our garden until it got dark. It was so sweet watching Ian tag along behind Jim for each bucket-load of mulch wood chips and dirt. Jim gave Ian small tasks and Ian requested to help; they both came inside so refreshed, windswept, and content. Hopefully this is just a snapshot of what they will do together in the coming years.

Spring, we're so glad you've come. You are welcome here. Make yourself at home.

Sincerely,
The Postpartum-Stay-At-Home Mama,
Rugby-Playing-Working Papa,
Active-Outdoor-Loving Two Year Old,
and The Ever-Observing Six Week Old

Dirty Elbows

We've had a busy few weeks of visiting with family here at home and on the road. Papa had a busier pediatric rotation than we had expected, so we tried to soak up as much time with him when he was home as we could. We knew that the next two months he would have even less time at home, so we tried to make the most of the time we did have.

Jim's parents came for a couple nights and happened to be here when Ian turned ten months old. During their visit we went blueberry picking at Woodall's, adding to our glorious bounty of blueberries in the freezer. We were happy to host them in our new place, give them a tour, and let Ian be most of the entertainment!! He was eager to oblige.

We went to the playground up the street, where they were present for his nine month photo shoot and willing playmates for Ian! Scroll down and you'll see many pictures of the playdate :)

Thank you for a nice visit!! We're so glad you came. Ian certainly is one loved grandchild.

Ian's latest developments include MUCH more stability in standing with just one hand holding on to something.

He started waving a bit, when he wanted to, which we exuberantly mirrored back to him!!

We have rearranged Ian's room so that his mattress is on the floor and the entire room is baby-proofed; makes sense for a baby's room to be baby-proofed, eh? His room was hardly utilized by him before except for diaper changes, so it became our dumping ground during the unpacking process. Now, it's truly a baby's room.

He's been eating more and more foods lately! Some of the foods he used to love are no longer favorites at all, they even get thrown on the floor immediately. But it's obvious that he goes through phases. As of right now he basically refuses anything he can't serve himself. He's Mr. Independent, when it comes to solids, and certainly Mr. Dependent when it comes to comfort and nursing!!

On rough terrain, he can be seen crawling on his hands and feet. His clothes are getting dirtier and dirtier... the sign of a free, fun childhood!! Love this dirty elbow shot!!

He has two teeth on the top and on the bottom now! Teething on the top has proven to be much harder. He likes to chew on the nape of my neck... ouch!! How about another teether, Ian?

Bath times are relatively short these days. He's ready for the next thing... He LOVES brushing his teeth twice a day.

He's interested in EVERYTHING. Into EVERYTHING. And is understanding more and more. It's so fun to watch the wheels turning in his head (if only we could really do that!). This picture below shows his active, observant, and motivated eyes.

 A complete joy, that's what you are...

Fever & Stairs

 It won't be long before this little man is learning everything he can from his papa. It's probably safe to say that tools will be a common "toy" and present for him in years to come. Why not start now? With the move there were often tools around, mostly safe and appropriate of course ;)

Boy, does this guy ever love a good mess!!! 

But who doesn't really... especially one who has no concept of cleaning it up!!!

This goes for any meal, too. I've finally learned to strip him down at mealtimes to just a diaper.  Every once in a while I forget, but I'm getting better. 

His eating comes in ebbs and flows. Sometimes he's desperate to eat everything and sometimes he's just not interested. I'm sure we can all relate to that.

Lately he is LOVING broccoli and "mush" (our name for the oatmeal Jim's been making). He's tried blackberries, blueberries we picked (see pics) and grapes. He's still wild about water, which is good because it's been so hot here.

He's getting better about fisting food into his mouth, but food times are getting more and more difficult. He bats the spoon out of my hands and throws things on the floor a lot. It's normal, but sometimes hard to navigate how to respond or react.

One of Ian's top teeth is now very visible and the second one is on its way in!! This means that he's really, really teething. The top teeth are definitely bothering him much more than the bottom teeth did. He's gone through phases of liking to teeth on carrots, ice in the sack thing in the picture, celery, apple slices, and my collar bone... no lie.

No broccoli stands a chance with this fiend.

We watched as much of the World Cup was we could over the last few weeks! We still don't own a TV, so everything was on my laptop. Ian hasn't seen much TV in his lifetime, so he was quite fascinated by this little screen. Of all things to allow him to watch, this one was important and educational, right? He barely watched, even when it was on. Five seconds and he was on to something new! Babies have too much to do!

Fourth of July weekend was wonderful! We went to a cookout with some great friends, watched the fireworks, went blueberry picking, went shopping for some items for our new place, enjoyed some soccer, and tried to just relax together. It's been a while month!

Here are a few pictures of our blueberry-picking experience:

Worn-out!!!

The loot!

The hardest thing in the past couple of weeks was that Ian got very sick. All he wanted to do was sleep, breastfeed, be worn in the carrier, and cuddle his mama for a few days. He didn't seem like a kid who had an extremely high fever, but he was hot like a furnace. His fever ran high (103.6) and we took him into the doctor. She thought it was a virus and probably Hand, Foot, & Mouth disease and that it needed to run its course. Poor guy had sores on this back of his throat, making him only want to nurse and eat very few, soft solids. Fortunately, the fever finally broke on the evening of the third day and since then a rash spread over his tummy, but is starting to go away now. We couldn't believe what a good sport he was the whole time!

Unfortunately, his illness came at a time when I was supposed to be celebrating another little baby boy's soon arrival. But, you can't plan illnesses and this little boy needed me more than ever! Thanks for being so understanding Mere & Heather!!!

 You can tell he's not feeling one hundred percent in this picture. Little country bumpkin. Take a close look at his hair in the next few pictures...

Ian LOVES brushing his teeth these days. Anywhere in the house we can ask him if he wants to brush his teeth and he motions that he's ready to be picked up and taken to get started. For a while he never wanted to stop brushing his teeth, no matter how long we did it, but he's started almost stopping on his own! We always do it at the same time, which is pretty fun for all involved.

 This guy found his buttons! He doesn't often wear shirts with buttons all of the way down his front, but he did that day and was fascinated by them.

 Here he is sampling some of the blueberries we picked. No matter how many he tried, this was always his expression. Perhaps he thought each one he tried would taste different? Haha! We thought they tasted divine.

 I made the Pioneer Woman's blueberry crumb cake and it was oh so good!! Had to capture the yummy breakfast. Ian has started trying to peer around the camera at me. Hehe!

 Our strapping young lad is VERY good at taking off the cloth diapers that have velcro fasteners. If there aren't any clothes overtop of them, then he normally finds a way to get them off. He's getting to be so svelte!! Poor guy has matching mosquito bites on the backs of his legs, too.

 Sorry, Ian! I couldn't resist posting this one of your tush.

 And while we're posting all of the ones of him nude... Here is one of him during his fever. He took multiple baths a day to help him cool down. It must have felt soooo good because he was the happiest in the tub. After his baths, he always slept really well. too.

Okay, so minus the tub picture above, the rest of the pictures you've seen so far were of Ian PRIOR to his first haircut!! We finally did the deed, painful though it was for both of us (me and Jim, not Ian!). On July 7, 2014 (7-7-14... cool date, eh?) I cut his hair for the first time. The goal was just to snip the back, where he had the rat-tail, trim the fly-aways on the sides, and a bit around the eyes. 

To contain him, I put him in his high chair. He is normally pretty content to sit there for a little while. I then handed him his toothbrush, since he enjoys brushing his teeth so much and I was desperate for some distractions. Then, I went to work snipping as little as I could!!

Let me tell you. It was emotional!! Haha. I felt every snip. Ian could have cared less. He would have cared more had I taken the toothbrush from him, but it was ALL his! I trimmed the back and a bit around his eyes, but I chickened out about the sides... not wanting too drastic a change. 

Afterward, I beat myself up for every snip. It's definitely not a great job, but it looks okay. When Jim came home I was grateful for the reassurance that it looked good. He was pleased. Whew! Then Ian got sick with the fever and I didn't want to bother him with the haircut and I still haven't trimmed the sides to this day!

Since I flew solo on the haircut and I was so worried about it, I didn't get any pictures! The rest of the photos show Ian with his new 'do. Not too different... This one shows his flushed cheeks from the fever, but the poor boy still kept a smile on his face. The ottoman is often used as a walker.

He has really started to amaze us with his ability to stand for long stretches of time, without even realizing it!! He'll reach for a toy, put it in his mouth, and stand steady for between five to ten seconds before sitting back down on the floor. WILD!

Ian's cruising everywhere. He can cruise along the walls, the couch, tables, chairs, you name it. It might not be long...

 The following pictures are of Ian post-fever and illness.

This goofy expression is very common. "Don't mind me... I'm just _____"

 If I posted all of the shots I get of this, you'd be here all day. Every time I pick up the camera he crawls toward me and wants a good look of it. I have many pictures of him far away, crawling toward me, and then VERY up close and personal.

 Yesterday we spent time with Trisha and Jade and they let us borrow a maraca! Ian's really enjoying it!

 The back... still fairly long, but nowhere near as long as before!!! Each day he gets more and more blonde.

 Deer in the headlights!!! Those blue eyes...

 The front of our home has a wall of mostly windows. Ian loves standing and stairing out of the bottom ones, which happen to be his height. That's our front yard.

We've been going to the playground right up the road from us a lot, these days. Ian enjoys the baby swing and climbing up and down the steps of the playground. He has had A LOT of practice going down the steps.

On my birthday, yesterday, we were at a friend's home and Ian went up the steps multiple times, under my supervision. All of a sudden he started going down her narrow steps backwards and with absolutely no trouble. He made it safely down the entire staircase without any intervention from me. Way to go, Pal!!

He is also adept at getting off of sofas, chairs, or laps. He just backs himself right off, nice and easy.

What did I tell you? That goofy expression says he's up to something!!!

 This is the cradle Jim made with the quilt that my cousin, Marianne, made Ian. Ian likes to climb into the cradle and off of the other side. Since the cradle rocks, it's a difficult feat to get off. He's still working this out!

 When did he get to be such a little boy? Looks MUCH older than 9 months here!!! Perhaps from being sick, but also from lots of movement, and the natural changes of getting older, he's losing his baby pudgy-ness and becoming a little boy. Slow down, please. 

Happy 41-43 weeks, Ian Forrester!!

My, oh my, how we love you.