What It's Like to Have a 3 year old Boy...

 

There was a time when we could not imagine our baby boy walking.
Had no idea what the sound of his voice would be like.
Or what types of things he would grow to love.

What is it like to have a 3 year old boy?
Lots of talk about Spiderman.
Sound effects of shooting webs and fighting bad guys.
All........Day.........Long.
Asking us "Who is that superguy?"
Not eating meals, instead trying to negotiate for his favorite snacks.
Spiderman Cheez-Its. Marshmallows. Grapes popsicles (frozen grapes). Chocy Milk. Popcorn.
Jumping up and down and flapping his arms when the popcorn pops.
Asking for his shows on the "teesee".
Jumping off the couch.
Army crawling on the floor.
Dinosaur stomping to bed.
Hiding.
Wanting to be covered by three of his thickest baby blankets at night.
Building tents from blankets to watch movies.
Bringing every stuffed animal from his room under the tent to watch the movie together.
Superhero Squad. Batman. Spectacular Spiderman.
And then today, Carebears.
Getting out of bed 2 times each night to go potty.
Getting out of bed one more time because he just needs one more hug.
The big fat bottom lip sticking out when he's in trouble.
Telling him not to smile and then getting the cutest case of the giggles.
Telling me I'm pretty when I'm doing my makeup.
Hugging my legs just because.
Running ahead of me in the mall then turning around and sprinting back to me with open arms and sweeping him up for a huge spin and hug.
Always making sure he gets kissed and hugged goodnight.
Buying "Monster Spray" at Bath and Body Works and getting two squirts each night: one under the bed and one in the closet.
Asking me if he can help me clean when I'm wiping down counters or dusting.
Asking for "A big chocy milk like you" and putting his hands up real high.
Seeing a cool place on tv or the computer and telling me, "I want to go there."
Putting on his Spiderman mask and shirt and telling me, "No worry. Spiderman Cade here to protect  you."

Always taking care of his dog Izzy.
Running to the hearth to protect his baby sister from falling down.
Introducing himself to strangers as "Cade Lamb, Big Brother"
Telling me "I love you too Mommy" when he catches me smiling at him.
Saying he wants to grow up to be Daddy.

My heart.
My son.

 

On my mind

Just as I sit here watching my littles interact I love the way Devyn grabs Cade's fork and hands it to him. The way she looks at him for confirmation is so sweet. She loves him and adores him so much. Always has from the minute she first saw him. He isn't always sure how to respond to her. I'm learning that it's my job to show him  how to respond to her. To be patient and loving and her teacher.

Right now he is sitting at the toddler table that my parents bought him from Pottery Barn Kids a couple of years ago. It's been the best piece of furniture in the house the last few weeks because now Devyn can sit at it with him. To watch them eating breakfast together and fall in love with Mickey Mouse together has made me seriously tear up on a daily basis. (not really, but it's so freaking sweet!)

Just now as I type this lovefest, Cade gives Devyn a totally exasperated look and says, "No Desyn! I don't want that right now." And then he stands up and curls his body away from her. He catches my eye and says, "I don't like her. I want to get another baby!" Um...wth son? Not cool. Not the sweet big brother I was just getting ready to literally blog about.  I guess he's allowed to be moody. He is 3.

Random memories from yesterday:

Yesterday (my story):   Devyn has been tossing bits of her food to our dog Izzy. She does this on the sly. She literally casually extends one arm down and drops one little piece at a time. This kid LOVES dogs. She even crawled up to a baby gate box in Babies R Us the other day and kissed the picture of the dog on it! Anyways, she feeds the dog. Sometimes I catch her. Yesterday she finished her dinner and Cade hadn't touched his. So I told her "Oh good job, Devyn! You ate your dinner! Uh oh, Cade. You haven't eaten your quesadilla yet. No dessert if you don't finish your dinner."  He said, "I WILL eat my dinner! Izzy ate all of Desyn's dinner, I eat all of MY dinner!"  It was so funny for him to totally sell out Devyn that way with his little lisp on the V on her name. I laughed so hard, Devyn started to laugh too. 

Yesterday  (Nick's story): Our disposal has been crap this week. Nick and I divided and conquered the kids so I could run my errand with Devyn and he could use Cade as his little Home Deport helper.  So he needed an extra hand to push down on the new sink part while he was underneath screwing in the disposal. He improvised and put Cade standing in the sink and made him promise to be safe and hold on tight. So Nick goes under the sink and tells Cade hold on tight. And he hears Cade grunt. He finishes up and stands up to see Cade making two fists and closing his eyes tight and grunting. Such a serious little helper!

Last night (our story): I was putting Cade back in bed after his typical second trip to the bathroom after being put in bed. (I guess he is taking the business of keeping his underpants dry at night very seriously.) And he requests a song. So I ask him if he wants "Twinkle Twinkle". No. "How about the firetruck song?" No. He wants a robot song. I frequently have to totally improvise songs for him based on his interest of the day. I start to sing and he says, "No, no, no. The one we sang in car with Daddy. Like this one." And he starts to do the robot hands dance. "Mr. Roboto?" I ask. "Yes! Mr. Oboto!" Um... who knows any actual words to that song besides "Mr. Roboto"? So I start singing, "Oh my god-toe, Mis-ter Ro-bo-to do you know that I love you? Oh my god-toe, Mis-ter Ro-bo-to this I know is true. I have a but-ton turn me on. This is Cade's ro-bot song. And that I love you." (There was more, but I'll spare you. Take in mind I did this in a roboty voice with the necessary dance moves.) I must have sold it, because he was totally pleased. Then I kissed him goodnight and did the walk of shame to Nick on the couch. I confessed that my lullaby was uber-lame and he was like, "Lets see what those words are." He dutifully logged onto iTunes and we practiced a little bit. It really is more of a duet. So we practiced a little. All I can remember now is that I want to be the back-up voice who sings "I've got a secret". And I'll let Nick take the robot-y man lead and I'll just pop out behind his back with my "I've got a secret" refrain and do some robot arms.

Got to go rescue the little climbing lady. She's stuck on our fireplace hearth thing. Thrown all the toys out of her toy box and is holding onto a Darth Vadar (sucking his head) and crying at me to rescue her. Laters bloggies.

Rock-a-Bye

The clock says it's 1:48am. I hear the soft "click, click" and I feel perfect peace. In the soft light of my rock lamp I can't help but smile as my little bundle snuggles in my arms post feeding. Occasionally making little kitten noises as she stretches and snuggles back into the sweet spot at the crook of my arm. Heaven! I love it when a little dreamy giggle escapes her lips. Oh I would pay so much money to get a glimpse of her little newborn dreams. What makes her smile in her sleep? I am dying to know.

Part of me is distracted by the wonders of my late night Googling. Most of me is consumed in the perfect cuddle with my daughter. I am a recovering addict of the newborn cuddle. I had almost grown past this insatiable desire as Cade got to be an active wiggly toddler. Now I can't pick what I love more. Snuggling I'm. His twin bed. Hearing him say "'mon on, mommy" and pat is bed for me to "come on, lay down". Then reading him a story and having his little arm pull my neck in close to his and feel the pressure of our warm bodies, and hear our hearts beating together. ...ll. Or do I love this? Holding her close to me, milk drunk, smelling her downy peach fuzz head and kissing it all over without her waking up. Feeling so lucky when she curls her fingers around my pinkie. Now I'm getting my fix from two powerful drugs: son and daughter. Toddler and newborn.

I just came across a beautiful poem. An ode to a mother's rocking chair. Sounds silly, but it's beautiful. And perfect. And everything my life is right this moment. Thank you to Leslie, from aroomsomewhere.com for sharing this!

"Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.


Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peek-a-boo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo,
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).


The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."

Little Buggy

My little buggy, my little love bug, my widdle man! I can't believe you are turning 2. I sit here crying just thinking about how I'm going to stop my heart from bursting (and trying to figure out how to balance a laptop around prego belly with kicks). If I'm having a hard time accepting that you are TWO, imagine the train wreck I will be when you go to kindergarten or off to college. I'm sorry sweetie, I thought I'd be the cool mom. I was just having a hard time thinking that soon you won't need me anymore. Which is silly, because only I understand your words, what you want, and only I look forward to diaper changes. Even the stinky ones where you say "poo poo" and hold your nose and say "yuck!". Gotta love it when we're on the same page. When I first laid eyes on you I couldn't say anything else besides "He's so beautiful. He's perfect" and Oh God, how you've lived those words every day of your life. I'm certain that no other mom just gets her breath taken away by her little man as much as I do when I look at you. Whenever I've had a dark moment, and there have been several since you've been born, you've lifted up this family and carried us through. As much as I hurt and regret at my Boppy and Uncle Steff not getting to see how amazingly perfect you are, I know that you have bits of their fun, smart, loving personalities in you and that makes you so special to me. Yesterday at daycare my heart broke when I could see you were sick and you burst into tears when you saw me. I loved it just a little because I am the same when I see the person who has come to take care of me when I don't feel well. All this talk about you growing up and you still need me! Amazing, and I love it! Tonight you fell asleep on my as I sang our song and it was so perfect. That's what I've been afraid was lost forever and tonight I got it back for a little bit. (um, thanks fever/viral infection!) I could rock you in my arms forever. I love you little boy, more than I can ever describe. Happy last day of being 1 year old! love, Mommy