Big Brother, Big Sister

Written by: E

I could have always described Matthew as sweet and compassionate, but he continues to amaze me as a big brother, son, and my helper. When I'm making dinner and Nathaniel starts to cry, Matthew will try to cheer him up by playing with him or giving him a toy. Matthew will sit and hold out his arms to hold Nathaniel to make it easier for me to get him milk or a snack. And he will yell for me when Peanut is crying because he is stuck under the TV stand because he rolled too far. 

Since birth it seems, people have most frequently described Thea as sweet. She adores Nathaniel. she'll hold Nathaniel's hand, sing to him, tell him how cute and loved he is and bring him toys. 

Thea feels safer and is more full of joy when Matthew is around. 

While 3 under 4 has given us challenges and serious exhaustion, we are hoping that these sweet friendships will last a lifetime and it will have all been more than worth it. 

Thea is 3!

On April 11th, our sweet Thea Bean turned 3.  She had a Frozen-themed birthday party with her friends from school and church, along with both of her extended families.  All of the children were smiling and laughing from start to finish - success!

Here are some pictures from the party:

On her actual birthday, we went to breakfast at a pancake restaurant and the staff there decided that before her pancakes (read: dessert) she should be presented with a red velvet cake with a candle! Hooray Thea! Hooray Sugar!

Here's our ice queen on her special day:

The week of her birthday she went to the dentist for her first cleaning and while it was not her favorite thing to do, she cooperated AND...stopping sucking her thumb (during the day and at night!!!). The tooth fairy brought her small goodies each night and after a couple of weeks - a doll! 

We also took her to the doctor for her wellness visit and here are her stats:

Height: 36.75 inches (38th %ile)
Weight: 31 pounds (51st %ile)

Healthy and growing well. 

More about Thea as a 3 year old:

Things she loves: all things sparkley (except for the sparkley socks I bought that I thought were a total shoe in*), playing pretend with her dolls and animals, baking, swimming, being particular about what she wears, hugs and being held, Floppy/milk/pillow/blanket
Things she's learning: cutting paper with scissors, independent swimming, how to be less demanding ;)
Favorite colors: pink, purple, mint green, and blue
New skills: opening doors
Summer plans: ballet, swimming, and Sunshine Kidz camp (with Matthew)

The days can be long, but the years sure are fast. We love you, Thea. 

*See what I did there? Shoe in. Socks. Socks go in shoes. 
 

Theolinda Older Kid

When I playfully asked Thea today what her name was she said, "Theolinda Older Kid."

This about sums up the last two weeks: she tells people she wants to be called Theolinda (her full name) and can't stop referring to herself as "an older kid." 

"I like asparagus now, cause my am an older kid now."

"My birthday is coming up and I'm gonna have a party, cause my am an older kid."

"I'm a big girl boy cause my am an older kid now."

Whelp, she is an older kid now. We have entered childhood by getting her a bike with training wheels. 

Nathaniel's First Haircut

Unlike his older siblings, Nathaniel was gifted at birth with a beautiful, full head of hair. 

Sadly, much of that hair has since fallen out, and what has remained has become an unseemly nightmare that isn't fooling anybody. Just like Papa. 

Thus, at only six months of age, it was haircut time. 

Before: 

"The Rat Tail"

"The Tsunami"

"The Cut" 

Mommy has been cutting hair for years, people. No worries about that baby and those scissors. 

And...after:

Nathaniel's First Foods

Nathaniel's Valentine's Day gift was rice cereal. Because Matthew fed Thea her first bite, Thea fed Nathaniel. 

He didn't love it. Oatmeal cereal was not his favorite either. Sweet potatoes on the other hand? 

The fact that it's ALL over his face says it all. Next up, green beans. 

Fingers No More

It was in October that Matthew stopped sucking his fingers during the day. That was HUGE and took about a week!* Since then, he has still been sucking his fingers at night. Barely, but nonetheless, they are still popping in. Until tonight. My plan was to help him stop in 2 weeks, just before his next dentist appointment (figured that could be good encouragement and an understandable reminder to him). But tonight, completely on his own, the habit that began when he was four months old (old enough to take that pacifier out and get to the good stuff) ended. Just. Like. That. 

Above: Matthew sucking his beloved fingers at four months of age. This is also when he met Raisin, his monkey. At the age of 2, he added the pinkey. 

Above: Matthew drawing a picture yesterday (a house with a door and 3 stick figure people). 

*What helped him stop? He had to wash his hands every time he put his fingers in his mouth. 

Fluke?

Nathaniel rolled from his stomach to his back while "napping" at church today. Was this a fluke or the hitting of a milestone? Time will tell. 

As you can see, Nathaniel was not super excited about this, in fact, he was a bit confused and scared. Mike and I on the other hand were very happy! First roll was in God's house = awesome.