On the Eve of Three

At about this time three years ago, I was doing laps around the first floor of our house.  My parents and brother had come up for the night in anticipation of baby #2's arrival (already nine days late), and they and Ben were watching the Sox game in the living room.  I was too, in between contractions.  I would sit for four or five minutes, then a contraction would hit and I'd do circles, walking through the pain, thinking, "This really isn't so bad - it must be early yet."  So very different this was from Ethan's birth, a non-stop 31-hour marathon of fun.  At about 10, I talked to my midwife and we assured each other that it would probably be awhile yet, but I headed upstairs shortly thereafter to throw together a hospital bag, as I was pretty confident this was finally it.  Soon after that, things got crazy quickly.  There were struggles to get me to the car, a certain husband who asked if there was time for ice cream before we left, a fast and furious race to the hospital...and then at 1:32 AM, Adam Lawrence made his way into the world, this family, our hearts.  And so tomorrow, in the wee morning hours, our littlest boy will be three.

On the eve of three, Adam seems to be growing and changing at warp speed.  In only the past week or so, he's discovered a love (and knack) for puzzles, learned to ride his two-wheeler (with training wheels of course), (almost) potty-trained, and started drawing sketches that actually resemble what was intended (pumpkins with stems!; snowmen with eyes, noses, and mouths!).  At the brink of three, there is nothing Adam enjoys more than being read to.  Although Daddy is his most favorite reading partner, Adam has taken to morning snuggles and books in his (very tiny) toddler bed with Mommy.  His sweet request to read to him is hard to resist, even on our busiest mornings.  Adam loves reading stories over and over again - recent favorites include Halloween Pie, The Crabfish, any of the Olivia or Martha books, and Fiddle I Fee, but these change often.  When no one is available to read to him, we hear Adam "reading" to himself or his animals, holding out the book so they can all see the pictures.  Second only to Adam's love of reading is his love of singing.  This kid always has a tune in his head, likes to share it with everyone around him, and is a stickler for the lyrics.  Adam loves demonstrating his knowledge of shapes and colors to anyone who will listen, and is starting to learn letters and numbers too.  His favorite color is yellow and his favorite number is four.  At nearly three, Adam isn't the most daring of eaters, but he always surprises me with what he will and won't eat.  His plats du jour are noodles (any kind), fruit (any kind, but particularly watermelon and grapes), brussel sprouts (no joke), cottage cheese (with tomatoes), and yogurt.  He still prefers eating with his hands, wearing his food, and talking with his mouth full.

Of course, the end of the terrible twos and the beginning of the trying threes is not always rosy.  Adam has never been much of a tantrum thrower - he prefers the dramatic fall to the ground in agony, but then stops almost immediately, particularly if no one appears to be watching and/or buying his shenanigans.  But in lieu of tantrums, he uses alternative methods of torture on his parents.  Like shouting "POOPY!" in the middle of library story hour.  Or REFUSING.TO.SIT.THROUGH.A.MEAL.  EVER.  Or pushing the exact buttons he knows will send his big brother into a whining tizzy.  Or sprinting from our music class room all the way to the front door (this involves many blind hallways through a church), sending his mother's heart into her throat, until she finds him sitting quietly by the front door with a big smile and a "See, Mom, I told you.  I told you I'd wait here."

Although he has changed so much in the past year, our Adam is still so very much the same.  He is ever the charmer, lifting one eyebrow and twinkling his eye when he wants something.  A social butterfly, he greets each of his friends and teachers in the morning with a wave and an individual callout ("Hi Sophia! Hi Abbie! Hi Mackenzie!").  And yes, all his friends are girls.  Unlike his big brother, who is all about men and grandfathers and construction, Adam is still a big softie with a very special place for the ladies in his life.  He remains attached to Horsey and his thumb, but these needs are diminishing every day.  Adam struggles with new fears as his world gets bigger, but he is also proud of himself when he overcomes them, or masters a new challenge.  Adam will be our class clown, I'm quite sure of it.  He will do anything for a laugh, and is already testing out his "jokes" on us.  His belly laugh and mischievous grin are downright infectious, so it's hard to stay mad at him for long, even if his "joke" is shouting "POOPY!" at the library.  Adam cares little about what others think, a trait that will serve him well in adolescence but is infuriating for a parent trying to discipline a toddler.  He marches to the beat of his own drummer, is zany, silly, and more fun than a barrel of monkeys.  He is our Adam, and we love him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, and every wiggly, giggly piece of him in between.

Happy Three Mini-Munch!