Every Eleventh with Little Buddy: July 11th

A full month as a three-year-old, where does the time go?! We've had a lot of fun so far this summer, with Little Buddy's favorite parts being going to My Gym twice a week (Karl! Shanna!) and pool visits. Our schedule looks something like this:

7:00 - 8:15 AM

Up, breakfast, get ready for the day, sit on the potty

8:15 - 8:45 AM

If Little Buddy has potty success, then he gets to watch Daniel Tiger while Momma frantically tries to get ready, get some laundry done, and get some dishes done

8:45 - 10:30 AM

Get out the door (hopefully on time, often a few minutes late) to get either to My Gym (on Mondays and Thursdays) or Baby Boot Camp

Lots of fun at My Gym!

10:30 AM - 1 PM

If it's a My Gym day, we normally head to the nearby pool for a swim and a picnic. If it is a Baby Boot Camp day, we play with friends, run an errand or two, and get some lunch (sometimes with Daddy!)

Loving some pool time!

Special pool time with Daddy!

1:00 - 3:30 PM

If Mommy's lucky, we head home for a good nap!

Asleep in his big boy bed!

3:30 - 5:30 PM

This is our free play time. We paint, do puzzles, play with play-doh, play outside, play in the sandbox, read books, or just play with toys. If we have anymore potty success, Little Buddy does get another episode of Daniel Tiger. Momma also tries to make sure dinner is ready to go!

Yay for play-doh!

Loving the new sandbox!

5:30 - 8:00 PM

Daddy gets home and we eat dinner. Then Daddy and Little Buddy get some playtime in before bathtime. After bath and stories (and "just two minutes" of Daddy and/or Momma laying down with him), Little Buddy normally hits the hay between 8 and 8:30 PM. Then Momma and Daddy are free....to clean the house, work on school stuff, work on a bathroom renovation...you get the picture. ;)

We are thankful, though, that Little Buddy does go to sleep so easily. He transitioned to his big boy bed last month and has been doing great! We were very happy that this process went so smoothly. Here are some other updates from the past month:

Height and Weight

We still have over a week until his well-check, but it seems Little Buddy is getting taller based on our measurements. Also, he is tipping the scales at about 48 lbs. He wears 5T and is the size of an average 5 year-old. It's crazy to have such a big toddler! His appetite is still very healthy, and we concentrate very hard on making sure his diet is as healthy as possible. Daddy thinks we are just growing another J.J. Watt!

Personality

Still a very careful kiddo, but he is taking on more adventures every day! He is also very loving and polite, insisting on saying hello and good-bye to everyone he meets (sometimes this includes inanimate objects like showerheads!). He is a favorite at the local restaurants where we eat lunch; he is always so pleasant to the wait staff and table bussers.

Developmental Milestones

Potty training is still slowly developing. Many times, Daddy and I have to remind ourselves how far he has come in three months. He is improving, it is just hard for a three-year-old brain to control a five-year-old sized bladder. We want to move out of diapers completely, but just not sure he has the control for that yet, especially at his gym classes.

Proof of progress! He overfilled his potty sticker chart as we waited for the new one to arrive!

Linguistically, his language skills are really progressing. He takes in new words daily and is able to relate his thoughts in simple (and sometimes quite elaborate) sentences. Often times, Daddy and I are his translators to those unfamiliar with listening to him, but he is getting better at getting his point across to others.

Fun Tidbits

*The 4th of July was a lot of fun. We went to our neighborhood's parade and fun day and he really enjoyed riding the fire truck "train", eating the food, and running down the slip 'n' slide. *He is going to start swim classes again this month. He loves the water and we want to make sure that he is safe and confident in his swimming. *Uncle J, Aunt S, and Cousin T will be driving through in a few days and we can't wait for him to meet his baby (and only) cousin! *He wanted a bike helmet to wear while riding his tricycle and it became some of his favorite headgear. *First dentist appointment is coming up soon! Keeping our fingers crossed for a good report! *Still excited about his baby sister. He likes to say hi to my belly and give it kisses. Not sure if he realizes that the baby will be joining us on the outside in October because he seems so content for her to stay in my belly!