3.5!

Dear Jameson,

Boy have we been busy lately!!  Of course, it's been way too long yet again.. I'll try to catch up!

Yesterday was a BIG day.  You had your first dentist appointment!  You're really good about letting me brush your teeth so I know they are nice and healthy.  You did so well.. I had no idea honestly that they were going to floss them, clean them, pick at them, scrape them, and paint them with flouride!  You weren't all that crazy about the cleaning, but you stayed strong and I held your hand and told you how awesome you are.  They gave you a coin to get a 'prize' and a new toothbrush and special package of cool spiderman tooth stuff!  The dentist also talked to you about your pacifiers.  He said that your pacifiers were hurting your teeth, and effecting your bite.  On the way home we talked about it.  I reminded you that the offer still stands to trade in your pacis for any toy you want at the toy store.. and you said you wanted to!  Though I know you're not able to really think long term, and I think you might really regret making a decision like that.. we did it.  I couldn't be more proud of you.  You helped me pack up your pacis, put them in a baggy and take them to the store.  You told them goodbye, and we found some awesome toys (Rescue Bots fire station and police station) and gave them to the worker there.

And then reality set in.  And my heart broke into a million tiny pieces for you.  You are trying SO hard to be strong.  You are trying SO hard not to break.. but I can see how sad you are, and how you're trying not to be.  I keep telling you that it's ok to feel sad about it, that growing up can be hard sometimes, but there's super cool things about growing up too.  I can't even think about it without going into tears.   It will hopefully sound SO silly and like such a small deal, but this is a HUGE deal.  You are so emotionally attached to them.  They have provided you an escape, a soothing, a comfort, a "time out" for three and a half years, and for that to be completely gone in an instant, regardless of who's decision it was (I tried to make it yours!!), has got to be REALLY hard to deal with.  You're dealing with it better than I ever probably could have.. You amaze me every time we go through something hard.  You are so wise beyond your years, and one of the strongest and most resiliant people I have ever met, I'm always in awe of your abilities to move along in life with a smile on your face.

You have been potty trained for a LONG time now, but you still wont poop on the toilet.  You HAVE.. but you wont if it's a choice.  We will keep working on that, not quite sure what the issue might be, but I doubt that's much you would like me to get into here in your memory 'blog' :)

Your newest obsession is Transformers toys.  It started with Rescue Bots (they are for toddlers) but now it's any and everything.  Movies, toys, videos on youtube, you love them.  You pretend to be one, usually Bumblebee or Optimus Prime.. you transform making the sound "Mee Mo Mee Mop", which I'm pretty sure your Opa taught you, it's so funny!

You're a very social, friendly, funny little guy.  More and more you're loving playing with other kids and making friends. A neighbor kid, Brandon, (he's 6) comes over every once in a while, also Aisley (she's 5) down the street is one of your friends too.  I take you out with some of my work friends and their kids sometimes too.  Most recently we went to this farm up in Longmont called "Sunflower Farm" with your friends Emily and Sidney.  There was a hay bale maze, tons of animals, hammocks, treehouses and other things, it was such a fun outing!  We also make lots of trips to places like the Aquarium, Nature and Science Museum, the mall (I'm getting a little tired of that lol), parks, and Jumpstreet.

You are (still,and I'm sure always) so sweet.  You love deeply, you're thoughtful, you're affectionate.  I think it's just part of your core being, it's beautiful.

I still rock you to sleep, and like I keep reminding you, I will until you tell me not to.

You're able to put on your own underwear (and pants/shorts if you'd try!) take off your socks and shoes.

You sleep great, and even better now that it's been about a week after the pacifier trade in (I obviously started and finished this post a week apart, sorry about that.. you keep me very busy!).  Usually in bed around 8:45, and sleep til 7:30 or 8.

You are eating pretty well, I think more of the work on that needs to come from our end, to quit offering you easy (bad for you) stuff, and keep challenging ourselves finding nutritionally sound choices for you.  You still adore mac n cheese, pizza.. chicken nuggets, all those typical "kid" things that are loaded with fat salt and carbs haha.  You do take your vitamin, you're better about drinking juices and milk, eating fruit.  Vegetables not so much, but I'm pretty sure you're not the first toddler to turn your nose up to green things.

Oma and Opa spend a lot of time with you, they adore you..and you adore them.  It's a beautiful relationship to observe, we are very lucky to have them and all their love and help.

You have your last (of 6) gymnastics class this week.  Thank goodness.  Actually, you've done great the past couple of weeks, but the first few were really hard for both of us.  It's the first time you've been in a class 'away' from me, (I'm actually watching from windows just outside the gym) and we were both in tears (I don't think you saw me in tears though).  You have done GREAT though, even through the tears you were trying really hard to listen to the teachers.  We give each other "thumbs up" through the class to say hello and that you're doing a great job.. though you usually use your pointer finger instead of your thumb.  You listen to instructions really well, and by the end of each class you really seem to have fun!  The first couple you did cry like I said, but the beginning of the class is super slow and you have to sit in a circle and do some stretching exercises.  You kept crying and looking back at me saying 'MAMA!'.  Broke my heart.. really really did.. but I knew it was best for you to go through this experience.  Not that gymnastics is something you 'have' to do, but there will be things (like school) that you have to do, away from my arms.. and it will suck a little bit for both of us, and I want you to be prepared so that it's not a totally new concept for you, eventually.

Daddy still has Wednesdays off with you, it's great that you have the time together. Usually you guys go on errands, eat fast food, and hit a park to play for a while.  You really look up to Daddy, and you are always excited when he has time at home with us and when we all play together, especially.

Ok, there are about a million other things that I could write, but hopefully I've touched on the basics just to keep things up to date on how awesome you are.

Every single time I think I can't possibly love you more than I do, I wake up the next day even more in love with you than I have ever been.  You make my life so happy and complete, you challenge me, you provide such fun, entertainment, tenderness, and of course love like I've never even imagined.  Thank you.

Love, Mommy