Holy cow! Is it really birthday time again? Yep, unfortunately it is. I can not believe that Ian is three today. Every night, after the boys are in bed, Cole and I talk about all things Ian and Eli. We could do it for hours. Even while we were on vacation for our anniversary we constantly talked about the boys. Every other sentence was, "Oh, the boys would love this," or "Can't you just see Ian/Eli doing that!" or "Gosh, I wish the boys were here so we could go _____." Cole and I were absolutely, positively meant to be parents. We love it more than anything in the world, but with our kids, who wouldn't love being a parent?
Ian was the best baby on the planet. The day he was born, EVERY member of our immediate family plus our close friends, Grant and Lindsey, came to the hospital. Everyone was so happy to finally see Ian, and he was born happy! And other than our second night in the hospital when he was starving because he still couldn't latch on, he was three weeks old before he really had a crying spell that lasted more than a minute. Ian was a dream baby. He ate well, slept well, pooped well (thank you breastmilk), and was always happy. I remember cheering him on when he was learning to roll over, sit up, crawl, and then walk. Other people thought they had the best baby in the world, but they were wrong. I did.
When Eli's due date was just around the corner, I was worried about how Ian would handle becoming a big brother. He had some, ahem, "jealous tendencies" when I held other babies. Sixteen-month-olds don't understand, "Don't hit the baby's soft spot!" I was so concerned that two babies would just be more than I could handle. I was almost right, but not because of Ian. Ian was an incredible helper at just 16 months. He would get burp cloths out of Eli's dresser drawer and pick up dropped pacifiers and toys. He was an amazing helper, and an incredibly wonderful big brother who Eli admired from the time he could focus his little eyes. I have always been so proud of every aspect of Ian.
The past three years have gone by in the blink of an eye, and as much as I hate how quickly the time passes by, I LOVE the stage we are currently in. We are well on our way to being completely potty trained. Hallelujah! Diapering one child instead of two is SO easy and fast! I had forgotten how much easier it is to only have one hienie to diaper. (At this time I would like to recognize Fisher Price, the makers of Trio building blocks: the perfect motivator for potty training.) Ian is so polite and has the kindest heart. He will comfort Eli when he is upset because he can't stand to see anyone crying. He shares and takes turns with his little bro. He doesn't always do this willingly, but it's getting better all the time.
One of my favorite things about this age is all of the funny stuff Ian says. Ian is HILARIOUS! Everyday he says or does something totally off the wall, and I just crack up. He is a fan of the "Skippy Jon Jones" book series. For those unfamiliar with Skippy Jon, he is a Chihuahua who thinks he is a Siamese Cat. Since he has been potty training and wearing skivvies instead of diapers, we have been calling him "Skivvie Jon Jones." He likes this name and also refers to himself as "Skibbie Jon Jones." The other night I made pancakes for supper, and of course topped them with syrup. About half way through dinner Ian looked down at his syrupy fork and hands and as serious as can be said, "I'm a Sticky Jon Jones." Of course, Cole and I just laughed and laughed and laughed. What a clever little boy.
He loves to pretend he is a talk show host, thank you "Word Girl." Weird, I know, but it is so cute! He will stand on a chair and loudly announce, "Welcome ladies and gemmelmen. Today is.......Aunt Tee-duh's birthday!" and then we have to clap while "Aunt Tee-duh takes the stage." By the way, Aunt Tee-duh is Tyla. Even though Ian has been able to say her name properly for a LONG time, she is so charmed by the mispronunciation that she prefers to be called Tee-duh by the boys, so we are keeping it going. His "talk show" mainly covers family birthdays which all seem to occur multiple times a year. According to Ian's calendar I must be nearing my 348th birthday. Being the classy little man that he is, he ends each and every show with a bow.
Ian's main love right now is "The Sandlot." He knows EVERY line to the movie, and while he is watching the movie he is acting out every scene. Everyday he is a different character from the movie, but his favorite is Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez. During every meal he acts out the scene in the tree house when Hamilton Porter teaches Scotty Smalls how to make S'mores. It doesn't matter what we are eating, he will make a stack of food, S'mores style, and eat it. When we go to the pool, each time we walk past a female lifeguard, he'll clutch his chest and say, "Oh, Wendy Peffercorn. My darling, lover girl." Whenever there is something, anything laying on the ground he will pretend it is the fence that squished poor Hercules and he'll yell to me, "Benny, help! He's hurt!" and together we will dramatically lift the object and save Hercules' life. You get the point; Ian LIVES "The Sandlot" or as it is known at our house, "Baseball Kids."
Ian is 100% boy! If I would set his bed up in the yard, hey, we have a fence, I would NEVER see the kid again. He LOVES to be outside, and he LOVES to play in the dirt. We have a collection of heavy equipment toys, Cat naturally, that stays in the garage so he can play in the dirt every single time we play outside. When he isn't in the dirt, he wants to be at the pool. He is such a little pollywog. When he isn't outside or at the pool and is forced to be inside, he spends his time creating elaborate, dare devil stunts that will surely give me gray hair within the next few years. He will jump off of anything and climb anything to find yet a higher diving platform. The worst part is that while Ian has some semblance of a mental, danger assessment center, Eli does not, and since Ian is Eli's hero, Eli follows along with whatever Ian is doing and then adds his own personal flair that should land us in the ER any day now.
And Ian is SO smart! When Cole and I got engaged the first thing people would say wasn't "Congratulations." They would say, "You guys are going to have the smartest kids!" I always thought it was kind of an odd reaction, but I took it as a compliment anyway. Ian is ridiculously smart. He has always been totally off the charts for verbal and cognitive development. It makes me so happy to see his face when he has mastered a new skill. He takes such pride in learning, and that is such a wonderful trait to have. He is always up for something new, and will gladly say, "Yeah. Let's do this!" whenever I suggest trying something new.
I have been head over heels in love with Ian since the moment I saw him. I loved him so much that I needed to have Eli because Ian was so saturated with love, that he just couldn't absorb any more and I didn't want that love to go to waste. I am so, so, so, so, so grateful that I have been a stay-at-home-mom and have seen every minute of his day since the day he was born. I'm not going to stay that every day was enjoyable, because trust me, there have been some rough days, but I can't imagine not knowing what he was doing for nine hours every weekday and getting just a few minutes of a recap from the sitter each afternoon. I am the biggest proponent of the traditional family. I encourage every single family to make whatever sacrifices you have to make to be a traditional family. You will NOT regret it!!!!
Ian has been the greatest addition to our lives, and the past three years have been more amazing than I could have ever imagined. I read a study one time that said being a parent does not make people happier. In my opinion, they must be doing it wrong. I don't see how you could not find your children's presence makes the sun shine brighter. All I know is that Ian is perfect, I have LOVED every second of the last three years, and I know the next 70 some years are going to be just as awesome! Happy Birthday, Ian!
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