44 Months Old

A month can change so many things, and the more I watch you Leo, the more I realise how much you have grown and developed. All of a sudden you are reciting the days of the week to me, and I have to admit that the first time you did it you caught me completely off guard. I had no idea that you knew how to do this! I felt a warm wave wash over me, I was so proud of you and happy that you were absorbing new life lessons that you were going to need come September.

You were talking non stop (I mean…Non stop!) and coming out with so many new things. It was just the other evening at dinner that you told me to ‘Stop nagging me Mummy!’ and in that second I forgot completely what I was telling you not to do, and just laughed. You…My 3 year old…Had just told me, your Mum to stop nagging you. There was something ironic about that that really did tickle me.

Your sense of humour is always something that I have adored about you and with your speech coming on so quickly now, it has been fascinating to hear you coming out with your own little jokes in an attempt to wind me up. It was just this evening that you decided to attempt using the potty for a number 2, it's still something you really don't want to do, and usually wait for your bedtime nappy to go on to do your business.. But I persuaded you tonight. You sat there for ages, and I sat with you. You did a bit, but you got frustrated and told me 'It's stuck, it's gone to sleep' and then you said 'Oh no! More wee come out! Stupid wee wee!' and then you got pretty rivaled because you just couldn't go, and that wee of your's had a mind of it's own!

You tell tall stories and let your imagination run away with you, and that is just beautiful to behold. At bedtime we always, always sit and have a cuddle with a story, a long cuddle where you lie on my arm and snuggle in tight. It’s my favourite time of the day, and despite what mood you were in when you came up to bed, angry, sad or excited, you always wind down to the perfect snuggle mood and we share a special half hour just you and I. Daddy tells us that we drag bedtime out and that you have me wrapped right around your little finger, and he’s probably right, but that time is so precious, and I steal it when the opportunity presents itself.

The other evening when we lay there we were talking about big school, you don’t seem totally sold on leaving nursery and starting your new school quite yet, and I explained that it was all part of growing up. Somehow the conversation managed to go from school… to the tooth fairy and how sometime in the next few years, your baby teeth would start to come out to be replaced with your grown up teeth. You sounded particularly interested in this and began to tell me how you currently had baby teeth and that I had grown up teeth. I told you that the baby teeth that come out will be taken away by the tooth fairy, and that you have to place the tooth under your pillow at night so that she can fly in and collect it for her tooth palace. Your face said it all, you were amazed, you told me that the tooth fairy was Tinkerbell and that she could come and play trains with you in your room and that she could then stay and sleep on your bed.

Your kind nature is something that everyone is commenting on at the moment, it’s like your old before your time. A complete gentleman. While I am lay in bed with you, you turned to me and said ‘Mummy, you lie on my arm now?’ and with that you are asking if you can cuddle me! You my boy are going to be a real heartbreaker one day!

We were out for lunch one day last week (In Subway of course!) and as usual you reserve the table while I line up to get our cheeky lunch. I could hear you chatting away to an elderly lady and asking her all sorts of questions, and she looked really pleased that you wanted to talk to her. When I came back to the table with your lunch, the lady turned to me and told me what a well behaved little boy you were. She said you were completely gorgeous! It is the most amazing feeling when a stranger comments on how well you behave and how lovely you are, because these are things I already know, but it is so amazing to hear someone else see those same qualities in you that I do. Then when the lady got up to leave, you rushed over to the doorway and swung the door open for her to leave, completely on your own accord. You stood there until she had left the building and the returned to finish off your lunch.

My little gentleman.

Of course with all of your many qualities it has to be noted that you have been a bit of a grumpy bum this month. I think nursery is really tiring you out at present, but of course at least that means I have no problem getting you to bed in an evening! You have been so excited about your birthday creeping up, it seems a little mad that come the end of June I am going to have a 4 year old on my hands! We have been discussing what you would like to do, and whether you would like a birthday party this year. Which of course you do! You seem to have settled on a Thomas theme for your 4^th birthday, which means I am going to have to get lots of cake practice in if you expect a Thomas cake this year!

I have been looking at venues and even found the perfect bouncy castle for your big day, so the next couple of months are going to be requiring some serious party planning! Because obviously we will be inviting all of your nursery friends!

So we have had yet another busy month, filled with days out and lots of quality family time. And we are now on the run up to your big day and of course finding out if you have got into our chosen school for you in April! Time is seriously flying and I don’t like it one bit, but we are having a great time and I couldn’t be happier about the little boy your turning into.

Until next month little man…

43 Months Old

The end of January saw your 43^rd month swing around, it had been a busy month spent with family and friends, and you were full of smiles and laughter as always. I had been watching you and listening to you intently, and loved hearing you come out with new words and sentences from your now bursting vocabulary. You would tell me ‘it’s a disgusting one’ when I lent in to give you a big kiss, and would promptly wipe the kiss of your face in a matter of seconds knowing full well that I was going to plant another on you the moment that you did!

We had been spending lots of time together as a family, days out and about to do fun and exciting things were on the cards for most weekends of late. We took a trip to Birmingham and spent an afternoon strolling around the SEALIFE Centre, and for the very first time you stopped to enjoy the sights of the aquatic life swimming around, instead of hurtling around like a looney toon. It was really special getting to show you all of the different marine life that is housed at the SEALIFE Centre, you were over the moon when we discovered ‘Nemo’ and ‘Dory’ swimming around! The overall show was stolen by the penguins who you could have sat and watched for hours. You got down on the floor and watched them swimming under water, and then as the penguins each hopped out, one by one onto dry land, you jumped up and ran to get a closer look as they waddled along. One even came up close and personal to you and you couldn’t wipe that cheeky smile of yours away.

We even took a visit to Build A Bear, where you had such a super time. You picked Olaf out of the wide selection of bears that were on offer and opted to have a Strawberry scent input in his foot (exclaiming ‘He smells like sweets!’)  and Elsa’s ‘Let it go’ tune in the other. You helped the lady stuff Olaf by holding your foot down on the machine, and in a matter of minutes you had your very own Olaf bear.

We even took a trip to Devon to see family friends, you had been talking about going to the seaside for weeks and were so excited to be seeing Bella and Dora for the first time in months. You spent the 3 hour car ride listening to The Muppet’s Most Wanted Sound Track, playing your DS and having a sing song. You were in fact as good as gold, and we only had to make one service station stop along the way for you to stretch your legs, and pick up a bag of Mini Eggs! The journey was a first for Mummy, who took on her very first long distance drive! Yes! Even on the motorway!

We spent the weekend in Devon and took a few trips to the cold January Seaside, armed with our wellies and Winter coats! You seemed to agree that visiting the beach in Winter is actually one of the best times to go, what with having the entire beach seemingly to ourselves, the ability to jump in the surf in our wellies and just ultimately be big kids were some of the best highlights for us. It didn't matter that it was bitterly cold for long, and rain was falling on occasion, we had a great time, and you didn't want to come home!

Your 43^rd month signified that it was only 5 months until your Birthday swung around again and you turned 4 years old. FOUR actual whole years old, somehow the idea still seems crazy because you can’t be that old, but times ticking by and soon you will be starting your first term at school. That little baby of mine is growing into a big strapping young boy,  at 43 months (3 and a half) it was hard to in vision you as the little baby that you once were. You were so independent and headstrong, such a grown up these days it was hard to remember that this wasn't always the case. Somewhere along the way you grew up, you learnt to walk and began to lose all of that baby chub I loved so much, you learnt to talk and do things for yourself but you still kept that cuddly side to you (for me anyway) and I relish that every day.