Mama and her fake smiling boy. "Cheeeeeese".
So far Donovan's transition to 3 has been a good one. We told him that when he turned 3 he would be big and would not need to use sippy cups anymore, and that he would give them all to his sister. I came up with this brilliant plan to cut back drastically on his juice intake. It has become a comfort measure for him, to drink his juice right when he gets up, before nap, after nap and before bed. It was severely watered down but still, he was probably getting between 9-12oz a day, way more than he needs. So we built up the fact that he would be big when he was 3 (thus not needing baby items like sippys). He took that an ran. A couple days before his birthday he told my parents that when he turned 3, he would be so big they wouldn't be able to carry him anymore. The night before his birthday he told Tom that "Tomorrow, I'll be three, I'll be a big boy and I can pick up my small friends" and also "I'll have big hands." I feared we may have oversold the whole turning three thing. But as it turns out he is doing really well and isn't acting disappointed with his same size-as-when-I-was-two self.
So far the sippy thing is working like a charm! He isn't missing them and he asks for juice, we give it to him in a cup and he takes two sips and is done. I knew that once we took the comfort of sucking it down while snuggled on the couch away that he would knock his consumption down significantly. In fact, we have offered him the same glass of juice that I poured him Sunday morning, every time he asks and it is still more than half full. Success!! Also, we have transitioned to wearing underwear overnight. That one was his idea. I told him that if he kept his diaper dry for 14 days in a row, he wouldn't have to wear his underwear anymore and he made it to 13 on his birthday but then asked if he didn't have to wear them anymore since he was big so I obliged and so far so good.
In other 3 year old news Donovan is doing really well at school! As of 2 weeks ago, he really turned a corner and loves it now. No tears or sad face ever, and now when I pick him up, sometimes he comes right over, sometimes he sees me and continues doing what he is doing or he runs to do something he wants to show me. His teachers say that at first, he was very adult oriented and would prefer their company to the kids. Now he is interacting with the other kids like everyone else does. I am proud of him for how well he transitioned.
Other things about Donovan at three:
~With the help of school, he can go to the bathroom all by himself. Get his pants up and down, and can wash his own hands (at school where he can reach the sink). Now whether or not he does it on his own at home, that is a different story.
~He can put his own shorts, underwear and shoes on (not always correctly) but still needs help with shirts in general and socks always. He can take off all his own clothes.
~He is starting to come around on Reese. He tells her things, "Hey Reese, look at my cool guy shoes!" and he is starting to try to wrestle with her, which she loves and giggles at, and that doesn't help him believe us when we tell him to not be so rough with her. He gets upset and panicky (tears in his eyes) when she gets really upset or if he thinks we are hurting her (when she throws a bloody fit during some diaper changes). It is so sweet to see him defending her.
~He speaks in full sentences with all the connecting words almost all of the time. Some kids his age still say things like "I want ball" or "My cold" or something like that. He speaks in full paragraphs usually. "Remember, the other day, Trevor and I saw the rabbit?" and "Actually, I need some socks". He is a mini person. On a funny note one of the times he didn't use all the correct tenses and connecting words was a time that he was at the table and said, "What happen, petey poop on my head?" and then when I was like "What?!?!" he followed with, "What happen, petey poop on my foot?" It took me a minute to figure out he meant to say, "What would happen if Petey pooped on my head?" It made me laugh to think that he was getting the idea that he could think up potential weird situations and I would tell him what we would do if that happened. (And for the record, Petey would be in big trouble)
~His memory is impeccable. He will reference things (like the above rabbit sighting) that happened 8 months ago, that we haven't spoke of since. It is crazy.
~He says the word "miz" instead of was or is sometimes. As in, "I miz crying, and screaming". I think it is a combo of was and I'm but I think it is so adorable I cannot bring myself to correct him. Tom and I talk like him now, we will say "I miz tired" to each other like that is normal language. Ok-Tom just read this and his take is that "miz" is "I'm just" just super jumbled together. I have to agree but just in case, I leave the previously stated idea.
~He is still a huge sports fan, as in playing them himself. He is getting in to soccer more but still loves hockey and baseball, although he alternates which one he prefers at time to time.
~He learned to peddle on his tricycle about 3 or 4 weeks ago now and he is really good at it! He loves driving the tricycle my parents got him for his birthday last year and Tom's parents have another trike that he peddles all around the pond path near their house.
~Up until this last month, he had almost no patience for coloring. Some of his friends (Ian man) would color up the whole page and Donovan would make a couple lines and peace out. Now he is doing a lot more. He can draw a circle, lines, drew a very rough face (with 2 eyes, a nose and a mouth) for his teacher at school when asked, and he can trace his own hand (the result is the puffiest, fattest, cutest hand you have ever seen, but it is obvious what it is!). I am really enjoying this but we are running out of space to put his artwork.
~Donovan drinks no milk at home, but will at school. He would prefer to eat a hot dog at every meal. His other staples are, chicken nuggies (nuggets), eggs and ham, and Macaroni. He is getting better about fruit again. He loves grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and especially the cuties (little fresh mandarin oranges). Once he ate 5.5 cuties for breakfast. He only stopped because after he asked for another one, I, like any good mom would, offered him a pop tart instead as I was tired of peeling the oranges. Mother of the year folks.
~Donovan still takes a nap, THANK GOD! He usually takes an hour and a half nap but sometimes he goes as long as 2.5. On rare, and I mean rare, occasions it is around 3 hours but those are very few and far between. He usually is asleep by 8:30 and is up by 7, whether it is a school day or not (boo).
I am so excited for this year of Donovan's life. I was absolutely obsessed with his past year of life because he morphed from a toddler, to a little person before my eyes. I started a 3yr old "bucket" list for Donovan: all things I want to do with him this year while he is 3 as most of them I feel he is finally old enough for or will be soon. This is what we have on the list:
-Go bowling
-Go fishing with a grandpa
-Go to a movie
-Ride a bicycle (with training wheels)
-Go miniature golfing
-Go to the butterfly house
-Ride on a real train
-Go to an amusement park
-Take swimming lessons
-Go ice skating (maybe...and if so, in late winter)
I am sure that list will grow as the time goes on, but just looking over it makes me so excited. I love life with him. Two/three year olds are cures for depression in my opinion. He makes life so exciting. Things I would normally not care about is suddenly exciting, like seeing a groundhog on our way home. Or hearing a siren or a train. He makes life so much richer. I love him.
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