Late as usual, but better than never.  Ethan has lost all signs of baby and is truly a little boy now.  He seems so grown up most of the time, I’m not sure if I’m talking to a grown up or a little boy.  Ethan constantly makes us laugh and has so many funny sayings including “mom, straws are an elevator for milk to get into my mouth, right?”  He does not like when we laugh at these funny comments!

Ethan has really shot up in the past year.  He went from the 25% in height to the 75% (105 cm).  He weighs 36 lbs (50%).  He is so tall and skinny, which he has never been. I recently looked at old pictures of him and was reminded how chunky he was! He had a good appointment as usual, with our only issue being his continued bad eating.  We have been making him what I make for dinner every night lately which results in about 90% of nights crying, arguing, and not eating, and 10% him eating a little of what I make.  Progress, I suppose!

Ethan is such a smart boy and is loving preschool.  He is starting to sound out words, enjoys using scissors, and is drawing objects like stick figures.  He is learning lots of social skills like working through when a friend doesn’t want to play with you or they want to play with someone else.  His sensitive side is coming out and he is starting to get upset when these things happen, but I can see progress!  He is always so happy when I pick him up and he tells me all about his day.  His teachers do a wonderful job keeping things interesting for these kids!

Ethan had a great birthday party.  He was surrounded by family and a few close friends.  The kids got to play outside in a leaf pile, eat breadsticks, play with toys, opens presents, and eat birthday cake and ice cream.  He was so excited to open presents and got so many cool things including a Hot Wheels track, his first “real” (non duplo) Legos, and a fire fighter costume.  He also got a science kit which we have enjoyed playing with.  He did miss his cousins who recently moved to Salt Lake City.

We had some other exciting events like our first time trick or treating and a trip to the Lego Kids Fest.  Ethan asked to go trick or treating with our neighbor boys, and despite the cold weather and snow, he had a wonderful time.  After we all watched Charlie Brown and ate candy.  He spent most of Lego Kids Fest building cars and racing them down a ramp.  We had a great time and hope to go back sometime soon.

 

Ethan is finishing out the last few months of being a three year old and preparing to head back to preschool.  I can’t say I’m not excited, as his behavior and attitude seems to be improving, but it does make me sad that he will be four soon.  Ethan is a fun, energetic, curious, silly little boy, and I can’t wait to see that personality develop even more!

Ethan has done phenomenally well with the transition to our new house.  Since the day we moved he has said “I love our new house mommy” and “I love my new room.”  He has not once acted sad or missed the old house.  He loves having his own play room, a big room with toys, and a yard.  It took some time for him to warm up to playing outside, but he will now run out the door and head out to his playhouse by himself.  He loves daddy’s lawn mower and stands at the window saying “go Daddy go!” every time Jason mows.  He especially loves being able to jump on his bicycle whenever he wants and ride a few laps around the cul-de-sac.  We are also enjoying the neighborhood playground and go there often, as it is right behind our house.  The icing on the cake for him is that our neighbors have boys and he thinks that is the greatest thing ever.  He always comes up with an excuse to go outside when he seems them playing.

As Ethan and Noelle both get older and their different personalities come out, I find more things I love about both of them.  I took for granted how nice it is that Ethan is cautious and stays close to me.  I do not have to worry about him when he goes outside to play because I know he will stay in our yard (and I have found Noelle at the playground a few times!).  I also appreciate his cuddliness and his kisses and hugs.  They sometimes overwhelm me as it seems like he spends half the day saying “I love you so much Mommy” and giving me hugs and kisses, but I know before too long this will go away.

I love seeing Ethan’s character develop and seeing his imagination grow.  He almost always has some story plot that he is acting out and wants me to be a part of.  He is starting to understand empathy, and feels bad when those around him are sad.  He will frequently start singing when Noelle gets upset and when she stops crying he’ll say “I made baby feel better Mommy!”  He is starting to understand things like “you can’t listen to your music right now because mommy likes different music and we’re listening to that.”

Ethan would watch tv all day long if I let him.  He loves Daniel Tiger, Peg + Cat, and Curious George.  If I force him to play with his toys (which I do) he usually picks Legos, trucks, trains or reenacting a tv show.  After bedtime and during “rest time” he usually plays Legos in his room.  Right now (9pm) I can hear him pushing his Lego trucks around his room.  I’m not sure how this kid is a Mobley, as he doesn’t require as much sleep as either of his parents.

I’m looking forward to Ethan starting preschool again this week.  Even though he was lucky enough to be a part of Boone Meadow Preschool last year, he was the youngest in his class.  He will be in a 3/4 classroom again, since it will be his first “real” year.  And even though I feel bad for moving him, he will be going to Pleasant View this year, but will thankfully stay at this school until he goes to middle school.  I am excited for him to get to know new friends and learn more.  Ethan loves to learn and impresses me with his knowledge (especially since I do next to nothing to help him learn).  He can count to 39 (and then counts 30 11, 30 12, 30 13…) and can also count to 100 by 10s.  He knows all his letters and lots of letter sounds.  He can draw an E, but is hesitant to learn any other letters.  I am looking forward to what he learns this fall.

 

 

Ethan is quite the active little boy. He has grown up quite a bit from my last update!  Here is what is going on with our little guy.

• He is finally potty trained!  I had to use the tough love method and it was a battle, but after a few days he totally got it and hasn’t had any accidents.  He wears undies to bed most nights and stays dry most of the time. He will not go potty at preschool and holds it all day long!
• He continues to be a very picky eater.  He likes the same things and will only rarely try something new. He still loves fruit, and we are looking forward to lots of yummy fruit at the farmers market this summer.
• Ethan still loves all things boy: trucks, cars, tractors.  He loves riding his bicycle. He is enjoying preschool, but will get his first ever break this summer. We are going to take the whole summer off of school since I’m not working. We are all looking forward to it!
• Ethan is still learning to be a good big brother. He loves his sister and likes to give her hugs and is very concerned about her well being, but also forgets to be gentle with her!
• Ethan is still terrified of loud noises. He is afraid of the “vacuum man” at his preschool.

 

 

I can’t believe my little baby is 3!  There doesn’t seem to be any baby left in him.  He is fully a little boy now.

Ethan is loving his time at “Boone Meadow Preschool” as he always calls it.  He loves his teachers and his class mates.  Since he is the youngest in his class, it is so funny to see the other kids interact with him.  He is learning so much already.  He is starting to learn letter sounds and the days of the week.  He can now count to 13 and can actually count objects much better.  He is also learning things like putting his lunch box and backpack away in his cubby every morning.  Though sometimes he says he doesn’t want to go, I’m pretty sure it’s just an act because he is always happy to be dropped off.  He goes right to his room and goes to play when he is done with his morning jobs.  They have recently started going to the Library on Tuesdays which he loves.  It also works well with Noelle’s schedule so we can be home before her first nap and she is usually awake before I pick him up.  We are so happy to have found such a great preschool.

Ethan’s 3 year appointment was pretty uneventful.  He thankfully didn’t need any shots (though he told me he wanted one) other than the flu shot and we were able to do the flumist, which he did great with.  He weighs 33lbs (63%) and is 36.5 inches (25%).  This was funny to me because he has slimmed down so much over the past few months.  The stretchy waistband pants I bought him (which were the only things that fit him in the past) are huge so I had to buy him adjustable waistband pants that are on the smallest setting.  So funny how they change!  Ethan is still not at all interested in potty training.  He talks about it (“everyone went potty at preschool, and I got a new diaper”) but doesn’t seem to care that he is still in diapers.  Dr. Wheeler is not concerned and told us to wait until he is ready.  Knowing his personality I’m sure once he’s decided he wants to it will be easy and I am not up for fighting with him about it now.

Ethan’s favorite toys and activities include Legos (they are constantly scattered through our house), trucks, his play kitchen, his new doctor kit, and being in the middle of whatever Mommy is doing.  He is a busy little guy, for sure.  Every day he says “Mommy I want to go on an adventure” or “Mommy I want to go do something fun.”  It is such a contrast to Noelle who will sit and stare at a Lego piece for 10 minutes.  As the weather is getting cooler, I’m already running out of ideas to keep him entertained.  I’m starting to feel a bit claustrophobic in our small house with no yard with a toddler who wants to be constantly entertained!  Ethan does love to help me cook and bake, and I try to let him help me as much as possible.  I can already tell he is learned a lot and look forward to continuing this as he gets older.  The other day he was playing in his kitchen and said “Mommy, I’m going to make fruit salad.  First, I’ll add eggs.  Then I’ll add flour and baking powder.”  While that doesn’t sound like a fruit salad I’d like to eat, I love that he is remembering what we add when baking!  He still loves his sister but it starting to get a little rough with her now that she is so mobile and in the middle of what he is doing.  He has to be reminded frequently that he needs to be gentle and that things like pushing his sister over or smacking her on the head is not acceptable.  He does do a great job of reminding us that the stair gate is open when she is crawling around.

Ethan continues to be a picky eater and gets out-eaten in amount and variety by his sister on a daily basis.  He does impress us with his willingness to try new things some days, even if he doesn’t like it.  He would graze on snacks all day if we let him.  I try my hardest to feed him the healthiest version of the things he likes (whole grains, low sugar, no dyes, etc) but some days I feel like he is just eating junk all day!  We have found that he does a better job of trying things when he helps me cook.  One day I made homemade tortillas and he tried the raw tortilla dough but wouldn’t eat the cooked tortilla.  It’s like anything else with him, it’s whatever his mood is and whatever he wants.  There’s no convincing him otherwise!

Ethan is such a fun, happy, silly little boy.  He is constantly making me laugh.  I wish I could keep up with all of the funny things he says!  This morning I said to Noelle “Hello, Princess!” and he apparently thought I said “Hello, French Fry!” because he has been calling her french fry all day long.  In the bath tub tonight he said, “Mommy, I’m God.”  When I explained to him that he was not in fact God, he said “Mommy let’s pretend I’m God.”  I told him that it was better if we did not get into a theological debate about the fact that he was not God.

Here are some pictures of our sweet 3 year old!

 

In short, this is what is going on with Ethan these days:

• Loves his little sister, but is starting to become frustrated with her playing with his toys
• Is still a picky eater
• Has stopped taking naps
• Is no where close to being potty trained
• Loves playing with things that aren’t toys (and breaking them)
• Has learned to climb out of his bed (I know I’m lucky it took him this long!)
• Is going to start preschool at Boone Meadow Elementary this week
• Just finished his first swim class
• Speaks very clearly, but still has a few cute things he can’t pronounce {yittle (little) and yike (like)}

Ethan is such a little man.  He looks older to me every day.  I can’t believe that he will be 3 in just a few short months.

 

 

Every year Ethan and Noelle’s daycare has a “Spring Fling” performance.  This year was titled “The Magical Kingdom.”  We were pretty excited to see Ethan perform, as he loves music and loves to sing.  I was a little nervous though since lately he gets overwhelmed by lots of people and new situations.  Jason was able to leave work early and Noelle happily watched her big brother.  Of course, it was pretty hilarious to watch a group of kids sing their songs.  It ranged from kids who cried to whole time to kids who shouted every word and did all the correct hand motions.  Thankfully, Ethan did great!  He sang all of his songs oh-so-seriously.  We think he might drool when he gets nervous, though, because he looked like he had peanut butter in his mouth the whole time he was singing!  He also clapped wildly at the end of each song, which was really cute.  Here are a few pictures and videos of the event.  (The pictures aren’t very good.  He is wearing a red shirt.)

Ethan spring fling

 

 

I can’t believe I have a 2.5 year old.  Over the past few weeks Ethan has transformed into a little boy.  He seems so much older and not at all like a toddler.  We love the little boy he is turning into.

Ethan also had a doctor visit this week with Noelle.  The trip itself was quite an adventure.  Ethan loves going to the doctor and climbing up on the exam table, climbing under the table, getting out the books and going through mommy’s bag when he’s done with everything else.  By the time I was done talking to the doctor he had my entire wallet emptied all over the floor.  He also brought books under the exam table (it has a cutout like a cave) and a blanket and pretended to be asleep using the books as pillows.  He has quite the imagination!  Ethan weighs 31 lbs 4 oz (64%) and is 36 inches tall (49%).  A had a few very minor things to talk about but he continues to be a healthy boy.  We have decided to have him evaluated by First Steps because he continues to be a picky eater and we want to make sure there isn’t anything physical going on.

Ethan is speaking in full sentences and you can have a full conversation with him.  He seems to understand (and remember) everything we say.  He also has a great memory and can tell us where lots of thing are (things he has taken and hidden).  He is always making us laugh with things he says.  He likes to quote tv shows and books.  Lately he will hide behind something and say “I’m hiding in a siding!” like he hears on Thomas.  Another favorite Thomas quote is “Bust my buffers, that’s a good game!”  He has started becoming more aware of his feelings and likes to share them.  We will frequently say “I’m having fun!”  “That’s exciting!”  “That’s pretty crazy!”  He will also tell us when he is scared or afraid of something.  He will say “I don’t have to be scared” if he knows something he doesn’t like is going to happen (like when I turn on my hair dryer).  He likes to narrative his life and say things like “It’s spring time!”  “It’s getting warm!”  We can’t even keep track of all the funny things he says.

Ethan has a big imagination and likes to act out different scenarios.  He will narrate what he is doing with his toys.  When he is napping, he will usually spend a long time playing with his stuffed animals in bed before he falls asleep.  One day he had emptied his sock drawer and put all his animals inside.  I went to go check on him and he said “they’re driving a car, mommy!”  He is a very busy little boy and is into everything.  He loves playing with his Daddy most of all.  Daddy has the best imagination and keeps him entertained for a long time!

Ethan continues to be a good sleeper, though some weeks he only naps 1 or 2 days.  He still goes to his bed around 1pm every day and will play in his bed, even if he doesn’t sleep.  I usually make him stay for about 2 hours before I deem the naptime unsuccessful and will go get him.  He is usually happy and playing the whole time.  When I open the door he will say “Oh, hello Mommy!” as if he had forgotten all about me.

We have tried to be more consistent with Ethan’s discipline lately.  He is generally a well behaved little guy, and his daycare teachers always tell me how good and sweet he is for them.  He is definitely a 2 year old though and tries to push us to the limit.  We started using 1-2-3 magic and it is working really well.  It also helps me to feel like I’m making the best decisions when he makes a bad choice.  He is a very polite little boy.  He will say “no, thank you though” if he doesn’t want something that is offered.  He will also say “I have good manners!”