Physical Development
Ryan hit a growth spurt recently, and he's easily fitting into most 5T clothes now. Some are a little bigger, but even his teeny tiny little waist isn't quite so teeny or tiny anymore. I haven't been working on night time training for Ryan at all, but he wakes up probably a good 75% of the time completely dry. Honestly, he's probably going to beat Kendrick done with nighttime pull ups!
Sleep Habits
Naps are slowly phasing out, and if he takes one, it's a hot mess trying to get him to bed at night. I'm beginning to dream of the day that he stops napping just so he goes to bed by 8 each night!
Speech Development
Ryan is really moving along nicely as far as speech is concerned...in fact, I can't get him to STOP talking most of the time. He is really starting to just talk more throughout the day and likes to joke around and be silly and make people laugh. The little-kid-isms are slowly becoming a thing of the past, which makes me sad.Eating
Ryan isn't always the biggest eater. I feel like he probably eats about 1-2 "meals" a day, if even. He still prefers to snack. His favorite snacks include pickles, marshmallows, mandarin oranges or clementines, applesauce pouches, Gogurts, and cheese. But his favorite of all times is pizza, especially from Godfather's, and especially the m&m streussel dessert pizza lol
School
Ryan LOVES school, and asks every day if he gets to either go to preschool or cubbies (AWANA) every morning before he determines if he feels like getting dressed lol I don't have any more recent pictures, so you get this one again. He tends to be highly distracted and struggles to stay on task, but he's also 3, so there's that. I got a note home from preschool within the first couple months about how he was difficult to redirect and wasn't listening when he was told to sit down, and it made me think: How is it that I've never gotten that note sent home with my other boys? Because seriously lol He's pretty tame compared to what they were at 3.
Toddler Behaviors and Discipline
I feel like it's never going to ease up, this toddler stuff. Man, it's exhausting! We're still doing 1-2-3 magic for the most part, but I'm getting lax with it, and I usually count 1-2 and then bargain at 3, so I need to be more firm. I hate to have to punish them, so I really stink at follow through at the end. But USUALLY, they are listening by 2 anymore, so that's helpful. Ryan still throws tantrums a lot and gets loud when he doesn't get what he wants, so there's that. As I've learned with my other two, I just need to continue to be firm, and these things will pass. It's just exhausting with two of them at the same time going through this general phase, from about 18 months to age 4. But then he flashes this little devious smile, and dangit - I can't stay mad at him.
Likes
- His Family!
- Sucking on his two fingers and playing with Mama's hair.
- Making some music on the keyboard at Daddy's facility.
- His sister. These two are tight. They certainly have their moments, but usually where you can find one, you find them both. They're going to be only a single year apart in school, which blows my mind. But they're extremely close, and it's so cute to listen to them talk to each other.
- Being silly and making people laugh.
- Helping Mama make supper
- Making a snowman!
- COOKIES! Especially the ones from Hardee's.
- Being the center of attention
- His Siblings. They are usually super loud and crazy and funny. I handle it pretty well most of the time, but every once in a while, I feel a little crazy and make them all go to their rooms just so I can have some peace and quiet!
Dislikes
- Being told he can't do something.
- Not having things go his way.
- Not being able to physically do things or get places that he wants to do/go.
- Not being in control of the "amote"
- Not getting to "watch a movie and eat popcorn and have milky and play with Mama's hair" every day.
- Having to actually go anywhere at any point during the morning.
