It seems like you were just born, but I also can't remember not having you in my life. You're the best. We took these photos on Friday evening. Daddy had to go to a video of a property for a realtor, so we dropped him off and then went to a park to do your photos. I told you and Sutton that you could play at the park if you did everything I asked you to do.
So as soon as we parked, we changed you into the clothes and shoes that I'd packed. We did you and your brother's hair. And then you found this hill. So we went with it...
The best words I can use to describe you are: loving, snuggly, hilarious, feisty, stubborn, and easily frustrated. You get that last one from me. We hear "Seriously?!" and "Ughhhhhhh!" a lot from you.
You usually get up around 6:30 or 6:45am. Sometimes we get some 5:30ams thrown in there. We've gotten a couple 7:15s though too! You eat jelly toast for breakfast almost every morning. If it's a school morning, we say no TV, and you eat breakfast, get dressed, get your hair done and Daddy takes you to our friend's house. They take you to preschool.
You go to preschool Monday through Thursday mornings from 8:15 to 11:15. I enjoy this time because I get some uninterrupted work time. You say that you don't like school. But every day when I pick you up, you tell me the fun things you did. I think it's just hard for you because you're not old enough yet to really make friends and you'd rather just be with me.
If it's a non school morning, we usually turn on a show and hang out on the couch so I can wake up a little more slowly. :)
When I pick you up from school, sometimes we run errands or grab lunch. Other times we head straight home for lunch. You are transitioning out of napping in the afternoons. This summer, I had let you give it up. But then when you started going to school, you would get so tired from all of the goings on. So we started napping every day again. But now...if I put you down for a nap, you will sometimes nap 2 or 3 hours and then you either won't want to go to bed at night, or you will get up super super early the next morning. I'm not a morning person. Ha!
You had the flu last week, so you stayed home from school all week and napped each day. You definitely needed it! But now that you're well, I'm back to playing each day by ear. It depends on how much back talk is happening around lunch, or how much you're zoning out. :)
You love to eat meat cheese and mayo sandwiches. Your favorite restaurant is Doc Green's. You love strawberry milk. Your favorite snacks (besides candy) are cereal (frosted mini wheats, fruity pebbles, cocoa puffs...all things unhealthy), raisins, applesauce, blueberries. But you are always changing. Sometimes you love one snack and hate it the next. And vice versa. You can be very unpredictable, and very vocal about your opinions. As if I should be able to read your mind.
Your favorite color has been pink for like a year. You consistently chose pink. But just in the last 2 weeks, you've started saying it's not pink because "I like lots of colors." So we're just in and in between stage right now, I guess.
You love your brother. You look up to him so much. You have to copy everything he does. After we had taken these photos, we were leaving and Sutton scaled two picnic tables. You had to do the same. It took a little more effort for you since your legs aren't as long. Last night we were at an event at your school, and you came over to me and asked me to take your jacket off and tie it around your waist. That's not something you normally do, so I looked up and sure enough, Sutton had taken off his jacket and tied it around his waist.
At the same time, you fight with each other like cats and dogs. You are both stubborn and hard-headed. You argue over things that shouldn't matter and I'm constantly telling you to just stop talking to each other or go to your separate rooms. When you get along, you have so much fun together. On the trampoline playing games you made up, in the foam pit, in the foam pit tunnel, in your rooms, building forts. I wish it could always be like that!
You eat your boogers. It's disgusting. I'm constantly getting your case about it.
It's always a struggle to get you to eat dinner. We try to get you to eat what we eat, but it takes you 4 times as long. Because you just don't want to. Sometimes we make you stay at the table while we clean up and go start playing. Then it's a whole big thing. Other times, that's enough motivation for you to finish. You would only eat dessert if that was an option!
You LOVE taking baths and showers. You always want to stay in twice as long as Sutton. Sutton recently told us that taking baths alone isn't nearly as much fun as taking them with you. You guys play well in there, lots of pretending. But you also splash each other and get mad all the time.
Bed time. You go to bed at 8:30pm. We start off by brushing your teeth. Then you potty, and we get in your bed. I read a book to you and Sutton in your bed, then Sutton goes to his room. I make sure you have fresh ice water, and turn out the lights, turn on your sound machine. Then we sing a song. Usually Joyful Joyful, Amazing Grace, White Winter Hymnal, Three Legged Doggie. (Ha.) Then I kiss you and hug you and leave. You have to have a fan on. You also have to have pants, shirt, and socks on. (As opposed to you brother who just sleeps in his underwear.) You always come out of your room at least once. You either say you need another kiss and hug, or you say "I need to tell you something." But then we ask you what you need to tell us and it's, "Ummmm....." and takes a long time for you to figure out something to tell me.
You love our dog and cat, but sometimes you get them a little too riled up and crazy and then you get scratched or trampled. We never had a big dog with you, so we're still learning about that.
You are such a lover. You need lots of hugs. You hold my face and kiss me. You caress my face. You are always wanting to be held when we are going places, or snuggle when we are home. You tell me "I love you Mommy" randomly.
You can be so polite. The other day we were parked at Sonic and you had to go to the bathroom. I got you out of the car and we started walking over, and you said "Thank you for taking me to the bathroom Mommy." Other times you are very demanding. In the mornings I have a lot to get ready and you will be sitting there with breakfast while I'm packing Sutton's lunch and yell "Where's my strawberry milk?!"
You have the best smile. Look at that smile:
You and Sutton did really well for pictures, so you got to go play at the park. You had so much fun! We only had a short time before we had to leave to go pick up Daddy. I'm so glad I kept my camera with me to get photos of you guys playing.
Ren, I love you so much! It is my honor to be your Mommy, and even though you challenge me daily, I feel like the luckiest mom to get to spend my days with you. You will be 5 and off to Kindergarten before I know it, so I'm treasuring this last year and a half before you do.
