And Another Year Makes THREE!

Dear Banner,
Well, it's official! We have known each other for a full 3 years now, and we celebrated that occasion yesterday! You are THREE years old, my sweet boy, and I want to tell you all about you and all about your party in what will probably end up being a REALLY long post. But, I have to get it out, jot it down, reflect, remember it all for you, and have a record of all the fun stuff going on in your big little life!

At 3-years-old, you are one independent, strong-willed, (usually) well-mannered, and thoughtful little boy. You wake up each day ready for a new adventure. In fact, you always start your day by asking, "Mom, where are we going today?" You like to know what's coming, what the plan is, who you will see... and sometimes you have your own agenda about where you want to go and what you want to do.

Most mornings, you wake up in our bed. You either come in our room around 4:00-5:00am, or you call out for one of us much earlier in the night. I'm not willing to fight this battle right now, but soon - soon! Then, it's a battle to get you to eat breakfast, and with some distraction of a game or a TV show, you let me dress you, brush your teeth, and comb your hair. You are pretty particular, too, about how you like your hair combed. I secretly like when you tell me where to fix it when you check it out in the mirror - mostly because I usually see the exact same spot that needs a little "tending to." Speaking of being particular - you are also very calculated in how you speak. You will correct me if I say something in plural form when it should be singular (like if I say, "Did you see some school buses?" you will say, "No, only one."). You are also very sensitive to little things, just like Mommy. You can't stand a little cuticle on your finger and will often ask me to fix it. You will find a strawberry seed in your mouth and will maneuver your tongue around just right with lots of concentration to get it out. Throughout the day, you are inquisitive, curious, and observant. You see shapes everywhere, and you point out what you see. In fact, you can do this without lines being connected to objects randomly-placed nearby each other. At school. Ms. Jennifer told me about the time you were in Mr. Abo's room holding three seeds in your hands. "Look, it's a triangle!" you said. She was pretty impressed, and I told her that Daddy had seen you do this at home a few times, too - seeing points on shapes without lines connecting them. You're very inventive and clever.

Some of my favorite quotations from this month:
-"Are they not in Texas where we live?" (when I told you that Randi and Ella were on a trip)
-"Jesus!" -said when you were just getting in the carseat after I told you to stop playing in the garage and get in the car already. Okay, this one's not necessarily a nice thing, but it was hard not to laugh... and I guess we gotta watch what we say a little more!
-"I'm sorry you yelled at me." (You say this when you are "talked sternly to" - pretty cute, even though you can't really apologize for something Daddy or I did!)
-"This is going to be exciting!"
-"I will give you a high five." (Said when you don't want to give a hug or kiss, and I can appreciate the alternative when you're just not in the mood for more.)
-"Have a good drive!" said to Lindsay and Myka after school
-"I was putting on my make-up. I don't want you to smear it!" (When I called you several times to come to the kitchen; of course, you weren't really wearing any!)
-"I love you more than anything in the whole wide wield!" you say this on occasion as I'm putting you to bed.
-Singing "The Eyes of Texas"

Other Things to Note:

-You are doing great with swim lessons, and Ms. Patty moved you to the next level in her program. Can't wait to watch my little fish this summer!

-Potty training has been great. I never say you are "fully trained," because well, I don't want to jinx it. But, you do very well telling us when you need to go, you go pretty independently, and you have even said you enjoy going potty on the toilet. I'm so very proud of you!

-You ask "Why?" all the time! "Why is that sign swinging?" "Why is the squirrel climbing that tree?" "Why are all the children leaving school?" "Why is that gorilla laying down?" Usually the answers are fairly obvious,  so I've been punting these questions back to you: "What do you think?" and you always have the answer. "The wind is blowing it," "He's chasing another squirrel," "School time is over, they're going home," "He's tired and resting."

-You know all your letters and sounds, and you're getting pretty competent with numeral recognition - thanks to The Letter Factory and Number Land DVDs! You're even pretty good at sounding out words to figure out what letters come next to spell it out.

-We had your 3-year check-up with Dr. B today, and it went VERY well! I'm super-impressed with how you handled yourself so nicely and mostly all on your own. You let him examine you, you were extremely sociable and friendly and talkative, and you were helpful giving him all the information he needed for him to determine you are very healthy! At one point, since we were also at his office for Quinn's check-up, he told us that Quinn is developmentally scoring as a 10-month-old, and "Banner is a 14-year-old." He's right, you are such a "threenager!" He saw how you only have two speeds: fast and faster! Here are your stats:

• Weight: 31.4 pounds = 50th percentile
• Height: 36.75 inches = 40th percentile (you usually are in a higher percentile than this, but Dr. B says it's probably just because this is the first time kids are measured standing up (rather than laying down), so most kids drop in percentile at this age.... But, then again, I was never very tall - always standing next to the teacher in class pictures as the shortest kid in the class most years.

And now, I want to talk to you about how we celebrated your big day! So, I started thinking about your birthday party theme back in March. I even asked you what kind of party you wanted. Construction was pretty much a hit right away. I immediately started having a lot of fun with this theme, looking up ideas online to get a springboard for my own creativity. Grandma was also showing you lots of cool stuff we could do, and while I appreciated the enthusiasm, planning a party starting in MARCH made for a very LONG road to your birthday party. You were very confused about when yours was, and explaining the calendar and helping you understand time at this early age is an impossible challenge. We began trying to explain whose birthday in the family would come next. Once Landry's party came and went, you knew yours was up next! That weekend of his party, you and Daddy started working on a "box" in the backyard. You didn't know what it was for, but you gladly helped hand him the tools he needed and wanted to help paint it. The following week, Britt came by with his pick-up truck to take you and Daddy to get the sand for the box. It was all coming together for you; you knew you were helping to make your own sandbox, a gift from Daddy and me. Britt, Daddy, and you got to watch the loaders dump the sand into the truck, and then you all came home to shovel and wheelbarrow the sand into your very own sandbox, which Daddy painted with a construction theme to go with your party (and because you are obsessed with "instruction sites.") You played in that sandbox all morning! Then, the following day was your party day, but you didn't know it. We knew if we told you, you'd never sleep and certainly not take a nap before the afternoon party, so Daddy drove you and Quinn to Grandma's house to nap there. Then, Daddy and I hurriedly prepared for the party!

Grandma said when you woke up from your nap, she told you where you'd be going. You got really excited to know it was FINALLY your party day! You asked if your friends were coming. You were all smiles she said. It was really fun opening the door to watch you come up the sidewalk and see how everything was set up. It was all for you, and it was all your favorite stuff! There was a Lego and blocks area, a road and parking lot made of masking tape on the carpet, there were tunnels to crawl through outside - along with the sandbox and lots of trucks and shovels, and Bob the Builder playing on TV. There were orange Solo cups made to look like traffic drums, a "Build" Your Own Sundae station, hard hats for the kids to wear, and even a bulldozer birthday cake. We had worked hard to make it special, and I have to say, I think we pulled it off! In fact, at the end of the night, as I tucked you in, you said, "Mommy, can I have another party?" and I said next year! We talked about your favorite parts of the party, and you said you loved the cake and your sandbox and you loved your friends being here to play with. Here are some pictures from the big day!

Bulldozer Cake I made the day before. I was bummed it was lopsided, but Daddy said maybe it is just on a hill! :)

The Guest of Honor arrives!

With Ella

Worker Colby!

Levi (almost 4 months) and Grandma

Aunt Gayle & Quinn (9 months)

Ian and Brycen

Lilly, Lilly, and Mara

Gretchen made your shirt!

Caden and Big Boss

Our Family

Lighting the candles

We're singing to you here

No one had to tell you what to do this time!

Foreman on site! Hard hat from Cherie, Jed, and Avery

Aunt Kira and Quinn

Ian and Emma

Brycen and Uncle Brock

Ryan, Avi, Daddy, and Aaron

Kiki, Levi, Uggy, and you

With Jorryn

With NaNa & Uncle Paul

With Zaide & Vicki

Quinn eating his hard hat

Evan in the tunnels

Hugs for Myka

Avi & Ryan

With Big Boss

Julia Bella

With Cherie & Jed

For whatever reason, Uncle Brock ends up tickling and shaking you at the end of each birthday party!

Emma and you in deep conversation

Nami (14.5 months)

With Aunt Mischelle

Kisses from Grandma

With Grandma & Papa

You went to bed a two-year-old (this is the last picture of you as a 2-year-old)

And woke up a 3-year-old!

The following morning was your actual 3rd birthday! You had made your way into our bed during the middle of the night, which we expected. So, after I got Quinn and his bottle to feed him in our room, we emptied a bag of balloons on the bed and sang "Happy Birthday!" Then, Daddy went to get donuts for you! When we sat down to breakfast, I asked if you wanted a candle. You were already starting on a kolache (a favorite of yours) and with a full mouth said, "Not yet." Then, when you had finished the kolache, you got a donut hole and said, "Now I want a candle!" So, we sang again and you blew out your candle. Then, it was time to get ready for your first day of camp! It was hard for me to leave you at a new place on your special day, but you did great. The teachers made brownies with you and your new camp buddies sang "Happy Birthday" to you. The rest of the day was pretty typical, except after your nap, I let you have a cupcake while Quinn and I sat with you eating some snack too... I thought of the minute of your birth while we sat there at 4:04 just enjoying a little chit chat with each other and Quinn. Then after a dinner at home, we ate some ice cream with toppings just like we had at your party. After bath and stories, I came in with a special gift from me to you.

Back in high school, I wrote Daddy and a couple friends each their own a list of all the things that were special memories between me and each of them. I called it "I Believe." I wanted to document each of your years this way starting this year. So, in the past couple months, I've been thinking about all the special times we had this past year when you were 2, and I wanted to read it to you to end your birthday. You were an awesome listener, and you were able to recall a lot of what I had written. It was a nice way to end your day, and then, as we laid next to each other in your bed before you fell asleep, I told you how your birthday is also the same day that you and I met. I had tears in my eyes, which you didn't know about, as I looked at your sweet face and thought about how I can still see parts of my newborn baby. Your eyebrows and how they furrow, your nose, your lips, even the expression in your eyes - I see my little baby boy. I love that I can still see that little infant. But, he's not so little anymore. He's growing so quickly.

At that point, you sat up and said, "Mommy, I want to hug you." To me, it felt like you were acknowledging the anniversary of the day we met. It felt like you were thanking me for something - your party? being your Mommy? birthing you? I'm not sure.... but I LOVED it. It was MY gift. You leaned down to hug me and as I wrapped my arms around you, you said, "No. Just me hugging you." So, I let you hug me. I had a hard time not embracing you back, but I was grateful for you wanting to snuggle me. "Thank you," I said, "but doesn't it feel better when I hug you back?" You nodded, so I threw my arms around you tightly. Then you said, "Mommy, will you rock me?" Still with tears you couldn't see, I agreed and swayed with you in the dim room. You said, "Can you rock me for more minutes and more minutes and more minutes?" Again, there was that little newborn staring at me! The newborn who was also a smart, sweet, curious, rambunctious, active, social little boy with a huge personality. It was such a treat. We just loved on each other, and then we said goodnight. I had a hard time falling asleep last night, reminiscing about your weekend and how proud you make me. In fact, I was still awake around midnight, apparently wanting to stay up late enjoying every minute of your birthday.

36 Months, that is!

Happy Third Birthday, Banner Boone! I hope all your birthday wishes come true, and I hope you have many, many, many more birthday candles to blow out and to make wishes upon! "I love you more than anything in the whole wide world!" Thank you for letting us celebrate your life. You are a gift every day!

I love you, Angel Baby!
Love,
Mommy