Ahh, I can't stand it. This little munchkin is THE cutest little being on the planet! So mild mannered, so easy going, so stinking adorable. My favorite thing is when he scrunches up his nose, squints his eyes and smiles big.
He visited the doctor last week for his 15 month checkup. Here are the highlights from the appointment, and his other accomplishments:
32.5" long
23 lbs, 9.5 oz
Head circumference 49.5 cm
Belly looks good, after the all the poop a few months ago
In the 80-90th percentile for height and weight
{Mostly} off the bottle
Still takes 2 naps but we're close to dropping to one
Can now climb up on the couch (!!)
Plays "So Big!" (see below)
Often crawls or walks backwards
Sometimes, on a slippery surface, he'll purposely crawl in place, like on a treadmill
Gives high fives and head butts on demand
Knows where his tongue is
Knows where his head and belly are
Loves to "go hide" and then run out to see you
Still loves Peek-a-boo
Signs "milk" and "all done"
Sticks out his tongue when you ask him for a kiss
Doesn't love the bath. Would prefer to just stand there until you take him out.
Loves to see what you're eating and take a bite
Won't clap his own hands but loves to clap yours for you
Loves to play with his big brother, chasing after him
Loves to roll the ball back and forth with you
He is all action -- a mover and shaker, getting faster, loving to climb and run.We're excited to hear him start to develop words beyond "Dada" and "Zaza". I think his little brain has been learning too much about doing than he is about saying!
Usually when one of our little ones' birthdays roll around a little part of me wants to deny it. Time has gone too fast, another year has slipped away, and 'wasn't he just crawling yesterday'?
But this year, for Adam, I am ok with FOUR. I really am. He's my smiley, happy, smart as a whip little boy that makes me think instead, 'he is just now turning 4'? It really feels like he's been 4 for a while.
After the craziness of Sam's birthday and the holidays, we I took the easy route with Adam's birthday party -- an ol' fashioned cake-and-ice-cream-after-family-dinner party. Yup, no theme, no special menu, just your average Monday night.... or it was, until I came home from work to find balloons and party guests!
Gramma, Aunt Kim and Jake and Lilly surprised Adam at school with balloons, stayed for the birthday snack time, and then brought him home early to play. I was surprised, and touched, they they drove up just for the day to help him celebrate.
Plus, we already had plans to go to Georgetown the next weekend to celebrate with family there.
Doesn't he look so grown up here??!
Gramma's snow plow cake -- appropriate for a January birthday!
This boy is pretty loved.
Thank you to everyone who helped celebrate our little man, who sent thoughts and gifts over the miles. He's already telling us he's "almost five." Whoa, there.
Here some other things he's also telling us/showing us:
READING! We've been working on sight words since last summer, and over the course of time he has started reading on his own. He reads everything -- words on road signs, the tv, the cereal box, and books, books books. I love that he loves books! It is so heartwarming to see him sit in his room surrounded by a pile of books, or when we tell him he can take one thing in the car with him, he'll choose his Big Purple Book for Beginner Readers (or the Red one).
An amazing memory. He remembers details and pulls them out months later to associate with what we're doing in that moment. The other day Michael clapped his hands together and started rubbing them back and forth and Adam said it was "like Mr. Miyagi" (from Karate Kid). I think he taught him that back in June!
Favorite "kiddism" these days -- "Lemalade" and "Deliverly" truck
Still loves Jeopardy! though we've graduated from just singing the song and watching the show to now pretend-playing the game. He's the host and names off the categories and we're the contestants. It's the most remarkable thing to witness! He even has the different phrases Alex Trebek typically says.
We took him to the Dentist, his second visit. And while he did fairly well, we only managed to get two teeth professionally cleaned. We made his next visit for 6 months time, and in the interim we're supposed to be helping him floss. (He's not going to like it.) Here's hoping he'll let the dentist clean more teeth next time. (Plus we made a visit for Sam....now that will be really interesting!)
We also took him for his 4 yr checkup. Best part is -- no shots! He's 39.75" tall (38th percentile) and 33 lbs. (23rd %) He had an apparently nasty ear infection that we had no idea he had. No fever, no other symptoms. I expected a battle with the medicine, but he took it without complaint. (Because he's 4 now?) He passed his eye test but failed his left ear due to the infection, so we'll take him back next week to be rechecked.
He still loves his cars, fire trucks, dump trucks, garbage trucks, trains... basically anything that self propels.
One of favorite things he'll say: "let's snuggle." Hope he never outgrows that (or at least, any time soon).
Still doesn't eat birthday cake!! Icing? Yes. Cake? Nope.
We're working on basic math. "If you have three apples and I take one away, how many do you have?" That kind of thing. We haven't worked as much on spelling but the other day he told Daddy, "You know how you spell funny? f-u-n-n-y"
Still likes to do things "all by myself"
Interacts more and more with Sam, especially loves to have Sam chase him. The other day I heard Sam awake from a nap and Adam said, "I'll go get him."
Still attending gymnastic classes, though has now moved up to the older class and struggles a bit with the concept of "focus"! We are excited to be joining the Y very soon and getting him in gymnastics or swim lessons over there, too.
We are loving Age 4! Happy Birthday, Adam! You'll never know how loved you are.
