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…

40 Months Old

40 months have come and gone since your arrival, 3 whole years and 5 months that have brought smiles, adventure and mischief. In 40 months you have transformed from a small helpless baby into an independent, happy little boy. A boy who is determined, wise, stubborn, charismatic and cheeky, a clever little man who wants to know more about the big old world around him. A boy who loves trains without a shadow of a doubt, and will chat to no end about anything and everything to do with them.

This month we submitted your application to school, and this action alone seems absolutely bonkers. I cannot get my head around the fact that come September you will be starting school, in my mind this milestone should still be years away and not a mere 10 months. I wonder how you will feel at such a big change? I know that when you do start you are just going to seem even more grown up, and life really will never be the same. Starting school means you will become more independent than I have ever known, you will have new friends and activities. Where has the last 40 months gone!?

October saw a rather large milestone for you, and you finally (deliberately) did a number 2 on the toilet! Yes I had to bribe you, yes it involved purchasing another train and yes you haven’t done it again since… But you tried and succeeded! It was all your decision as well little man, you decided to days after we had a conversation about the treat you would get if you used the toilet. You got up and told me you needed to go, we held hands as you lead me to the bath room and then you just got on with it. I couldn't quite believe it and I was so proud of you, you may have noticed the round of applause and the excited cheers you received!

As soon as you had done your business though you wanted your prize for being so grown up, and I promised that we would go later that day to pick it up. Time ran away with us and for one reason or another I didn’t make it to Tesco with you. That evening I put you to bed and told you I would pick it up on the way home so that you could have it first thing the next day. Only my mind went completely blank, and when I arrived home to find that you were still awake I felt so incredibly guilty. So at 9:30pm I put on your warmest PJ’s and slippers, strapped you into the car and took you to get your just desserts. You were so excited and the adventure was so totally worth it, you went to bed one happy little man, and couldn’t wait to wake up to play trains the next day! And I of course kept my promise!

You have been coming out with more sentences and been making a real effort, even your nursery key worker has commented on how chatty you have been. What made me giggle was when you brushed past me the other day and said ‘scuse me Mummy, I need a wee’ and took yourself off to the bath room.  You spent half term week telling me ‘school closed’ and I think you really enjoyed the weeks rest. Yet when it was time to go back you were so excited, I seem to remember lots of excited ‘YAY YAY YAY’ filling my ears.

You have been chatting lots about Christmas and have firmly decided that you would like a Nintendo DS as your main present. Now whenever Christmas does come up in conversation you tell me that Santa will be bringing you one down the chimney. Not to mention your comments about just how many presents you will have under the tree, somewhere in the region of ‘Lots and lots and lots!’ if I recall correctly.

It’s hard to believe that 40 months ago back in June 2011 you had only just graced us with your presence, and now 40 months on it is hard to in vision a time before you, a life before you. A life without you. This time of year always puts me in a reflective mood, and it was on the 5^th November 2010, that I first discovered you were coming along. It was scary, unexpected and amazing all at the same time… And now here we are about to take on a new month and many new challenges.

The One With Leo's Hearing Test

Today we made the journey to the hospital where Leo was born. We walked through the doors that we carried him out of the day after he arrived in the world. Only now he was propelling himself, holding my hand and walking inside on his own accord.

We were here for Leo's hearing test appointment. 

Following Leo's 2 and a half year check up in January we had wondered if Leo may not be hearing certain words correctly or not, and asked for an appointment. Our health visitor who has proved as much use as a chocolate fire guard informed us that we would only get this appointment if and when Leo was referred for speech therapy. I assumed that she changed her mind when the appointment slip came through the other month... But it turns out it was my GP who listened to me and made the appointment on my behalf. 

I had worried that Leo may not co-operate for the hearing test and I wasn't 100% on what to expect. He was happy enough when I ran with him down the hospital corridors on our hunt to find the right department to make the appointment time of 12:00pm in the nick of time...

I had come armed with sweet bribery in the hope that this may spur my stubborn little toddler to play ball, even though deep down inside I knew that there was no buying Leo's co-operation.. But anything was worth a try to get us through the appointment. We sat in the waiting room for a few moments waiting for a names to be called, Leo played with the toys and made eyes at the family sitting closest to him. Soon enough Leo's name was called and he took my hand so that we could walk into the doctors office. 

The office was set up with a small table and chairs on either side, on the table were some toys. The lady began to talk to Leo and encouraged him to play with the toys. Firstly she wanted Leo to pop on a pair of headphones, but as my thoughts had anticipated.. Leo was having absolutely none of it! Not even when I donned them in the hope this may spur him on... Not even when we pulled out the bribery sweets! So with the headphone idea put behind us, the lady gave Leo free play. As he was playing and listening to the lady, another doctor played sounds into different parts of the room. The idea was that Leo would look in the direction that the sound came from.

To hold Leo's interest when he looked in the right direction with each sound, there was a box either side of us and when he looked the right way, the box would light up and a cow or a pig would wiggle around. Once Leo saw this for the first time he wasn't very interested in the toys on the table... The lady had to convince him to stop waiting for the next sound and to carry on with their game. 

Before we left the appointment Leo decided to ransack the toy box and build a tower out of the cotton reels. He looked so pleased with himself as he stood there next to his creation. 

Leo did really well and looked in the right direction on all accounts, just like I knew he would. He passed the hearing test with flying colours and the doctor advised that she would be discharging him from further hearing tests. This lady told me everything that I knew already and to just give Leo time. He will come along with his words, just like he has been doing. She told me that if I have any firther concerns to just get in touch with our GP.

I think now the next steps I will be taking is to call my GP, I would like to maybe discuss the option of speech therapy just as an extra aid. I figure that it can't do any harm to go along to these sessions, heck we both might learn something!

So today I have confirmed what I already knew, but now I know that Leo does not have glue ear or any hearing problems. I just have to keep doing what I am doing, and watching this beautiful boy continuing to grow, learn and develop into a the most amazing little boy.