I've been rounding up for a few weeks now, especially because a lot of Brady's behavior lately is "very-three". But when I stop to think about it, it's a little hard to believe he's actually almost three years old (one week from tomorrow!) He's not a baby anymore, and he's really not a toddler anymore either. He's a full-blown "preschool-age" little boy. How did that happen?
He's a big brother, and a self-proclaimed big boy. He's been doing well with potty training. He has his Romp-n-Roll class a couple of times a week, and he knows just what to do. He also does really well in his little swim lesson every week (although lately his courage has replaced some obedience, and his coach is working on "boundaries in the water" with him. We try not to giggle, but picture her catching him mid-leap through the air, putting him back on the edge of the pool, and telling him, with a stern face, to wait until she counts to three.)
We've been working on obedience and boundaries at home, for sure, too! Bedtime adventures have included kicking the door- loudly. We tried a sticker chart, talking with him about the rules, scolding, and time-out. One night I had the time out chair in his room until almost 11. I was sure I was going to win this battle and he would eventually voluntarily stay in his bed and go to sleep. I knew my plan was not going well as he kept asking for fist bumps while in time out. This is funnier in hindsight than it was at the time. And when we figured out how to barricade the door so he could not reach it to kick, he tried jumping in the center of his room over and over and over again. This one we just ignored, and he eventually got tired. Just recently he seems to be moving on from this phase, and his sticker chart has picked up some momentum.
One cute bedtime story before I move on- Last night I put an audio monitor in the boys' room so that Anderson could tell me if he needs to go potty during the night. I tried to be discrete about it and stuck it under Brady's bed, mostly out of sight. It was fine last night, and I used it to talk to the boys briefly this morning. But tonight Ryan used the monitor to tell the boys they needed to be in their beds and go to sleep, and then we heard Brady say, "Anderson! I think he's under my bed!" Haha Anderson wasn't fooled and kept telling him "Oh no he's not," and Brady kept insisting, "Oh yes he is!" Haha it was so cute! Then they discovered it and kept messing with it, and we ended up just taking it out of the room. Maybe not my best idea after all.
Brady still loves Thomas trains, cars (McQueen and his friends, especially), and animals. Dinosaurs have been a favorite recently, so we are planning a Dinosaur-themed birthday party. He likes to pretend, and he loves it when we talk about his "kitty cat ears" or "kitty cat tail". Brady still loves to play with toys. He chooses to be on his own in a big, busy group. However, he's definitely social and likes to find a buddy to play and giggle with on the playground or at Romp n Roll. He's still quiet and shy if he's not comfortable, but he's definitely talking to us now even if there are a lot of people around. He's in a picky food stage, for sure. Favorites are still most fruit, Cheerios, pretzels, goldfish, chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese (hit or miss), pb&j, hot dogs, and pizza. Getting him to eat vegetables is tricky these days, which is a bummer. And tonight he flat-out refused to eat even one bite of tortellini, bread, or peas. He can be so stubborn!
He is also so, so sweet. He's acted more attached to me lately, which of course I love. LOTS of "Mommy, I want to hold you"'s. Sometimes we just hold hands at the table, and that seems to do the trick. He almost always chooses Daddy to sing his bedtime song and say prayers, though. He is so good with Colby. He's just instinctively sweet with him and can always make him laugh. He and Anderson can also be so cute together, but Brady is still working on "using his words" and not tackling his big brother the second he annoys him. He is certainly emotional these days. He likes to bop to the music when we're out and about, and he looks so cool doing it. He's definitely his own little man- unique and wonderful.
Here are some of my favorite Brady pictures from the past year:
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| Almost a year ago, on Daddy's birthday |
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| Love that belly! |
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| Meeting Colby |
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| Frolicking |
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| Watching an airplane <3 |
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| The annoyed look... |
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| Christmas morning |
He is such an important part of our family, and we love him so, so much! Happy birthday, Brady Bear!!
