Lucy Update

My Sweet Lulu,  I started a handwritten journal to document the cute things you say and do as well as your milestones but I haven't been very good at keeping up with it.  Typing in the blog is much easier so I think I will I continue doing it here.

You are a very sweet 3 year old little girl and I love you to pieces.  You are also very spirited with a great enthusiasm for just day to day things that blows me away.  You have such joy for life!  You shine your light bright for all to see and I love that about you.

I wrote the following notes back in the fall and winter of 2009 (the first half of your 3s) and wanted to include them here so it can all be in one place.  I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it.  I love you baby girl!

FALL 2009 - 3 YEARS OLD

• You saw Brooke, our next door neighbor who is 4 years old and yelled: “there’s Brooke, my best friend!”.  It was so sweet and the first time you’ve ever referred to anyone as your best friend.

• We were cooking together the other day and you cuddled up next to me on the step ladder and I told you I loved you and for the first time, very clearly you said “I love you too, Momma”.  Melted my heart! 

• We got you potty trained in the month of August (2 months after your 3rd birthday).  We made several attempts prior to that but you didn't seem into it.  One day we gave you tons to drink and sat you on the potty over and over.  At one point, you needed to go peepee so bad while you were sitting in the potty that you begged us for a diaper so you could do it in your diaper.  We kept encouraging you to let it go and when you did we made a big deal about it.  I should point out that during the whole time you were sitting in the potty we had the faucet running so you could hear the water... I think that helped.  At that moment, you understood for the first time what we had been telling you all along and after that it became pretty easy to get you to go in the bathroom.  Number 2 took you about another month.  You would be wearing panties and go hide behind a chair, squat down and do it in your panties.  The potty didn't seem to help you get in the deep enough squat that you wanted but with a lot of positive reinforcement you started going on the potty.  You say "I have to go push" when you need to go #2 and usually come get us after you are done so we can see what you put in there and tell you how proud we are of you.  It's hilarious!

• You love it when your Daddy gets home from work.  You have a little ritual.  You reach up so you can take his hat off.  You follow him to our room where he goes to change and you tell him all about your day and give him any crafts you made saying “I made this for you Daddy” then you tell him what Mommy prepared for dinner and you sit next to him while he eats asking him if he likes the food after every bite he takes.  When he’s done you ask him if he wants more or if he is full.  Such a little caretaker!  

• We are very surprised at how interested you are in your sister considering she’s almost 3 years younger than you.  She recently started crawling and you guys play non-stop. 

• You started using the terms “best” and “favorite”.  “My favorite sister!”, “My favorite chocolate!”.  It sounds so funny coming from such a little person.

• You are taking ballet classes at Steps of Faith, a christian dance academy.  Your uniform is a black leotard, pink tights, black skirt and ballet shoes.  You have to wear your hair up in a bun and you look so cute.  You run into class by yourself every time while other parents have to take their little girls in.  You are enjoying it so much!

• You are a cubbie in the AWANA program at our church.  It’s been hard work to get you to memorize bible verses but you’ve gotten better at it.  You go every Wednesday with your Daddy while Jenna and I stay at home.  Your Dad volunteers as a leader in the 2nd to 4th grade boys class.

WINTER 2009 - 3 1/2 YEARS OLD

• You love to help us cook.  You say “I need my steps” referring to the step ladder you climb on to be able to reach the kitchen cabinets where all the action is taking place.

• We are being more strict with you about manners.  You’ve learned to ask for things saying “May I please have some....”.  We still have to remind you to say it but you do say it.  

• You are affectionate but rough with Jenna.  Sometimes she laughs at the things you do to her, sometimes she cries.  We are constantly saying “gentle with Jenna, Lucy!”.

• You continue to be a drinker and not an eater.  You drink tons of milk every day and barely eat.  Among the few things that you eat are grilled cheese, pizza, cereal, spaghetti or noodles with butter and any fresh baked muffins that I make.

• You just discovered hot chocolate this Christmas and now you ask for it constantly.

• You went on your first official date with your Daddy a few days before Christmas.  He took you to Starbucks for a hot chocolate and then to a movie theater to see Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.  It was your first time at the movie theater.  You ate tons of pop corn and sat through the whole movie with the exception of a potty break.

• We stopped sending you to the Mother’s Day Out program in November and instead have been teaching you at home.  You are very smart and quick to learn new concepts.  You can spell quite a few words such as stop, cat, Lucy, Jesus, Dad, Mom.  You can trace letters and shapes really well and you stay within the lines when you draw.  

• This was the first Christmas in which you were aware of gifts and other traditions.  We focused on the birth of Jesus more than on Santa Claus but still kept it fun for you.  We made a birthday cake and invited your friends to a birthday party for Jesus.  You wanted to make sure we had party hats and decorations for Him, so we did.  It was so sweet to hear the name Jesus coming out of your mouth so often.  You still don’t understand who He is but I pray for your salvation constantly.  I specifically pray that it happens at an early age so that you don’t waste anytime not knowing Him.  

• This year Santa brought you two games for your handheld Leapster computer, a wooden birthday cake puzzle (‘cause you love birthdays and cakes) and a LeapFrog magnetic fridge word builder... mainly educational toys because that’s what you are into.  You also got a Leap Frog Tad pen and books, a hungry hungry hippo game, a personal write/erase portable board, books, jammies, Dallas Cowboys pom poms, a newly decorated and painted princess theme bathroom, a bracelet, a Dora watch and many other little things.  

• You are at that age where you are constantly testing your boundaries and really forcing us to discipline you.  We use time outs and keeping you from toys and treats as your main punishments but occasionally we’ve had to spank you on your bottom... not fun but necessary when you get yourself in dangerous situations.  

• You speak in complete sentences and use the right conjugation of verbs pretty consistently.  You also have a great vocabulary. 

• You love playing computer games and you are great at them.  The nickjr, starfall, and sesame street are some of your favorites.  You also play with your little Leapster.  You hardly ever watch TV... maybe 10 or 15 minutes in the morning after waking up and some in the evening while cuddling with Daddy before going to bed.  Your favorite shows are Blues Clues, Dora, Diego and Mickey Mouse House Club. 

• Your bed time is 8pm but you end up falling asleep around 9pm and we usually wake you up at around 7:30am. 

• You still take a nap from about 1:30 to 3:30pm.  We have to go in and wake you up every day or else you would keep sleeping.

• Your Daddy is still the one to put you to bed every night.  You two have a little routine and it’s so sweet.  You watch TV for a little while, then it’s time for teeth brushing and to get into your pull ups and jammies, then he carries you upside down to your room where he reads from your Bible, then you two pray together and then he leaves you.  You call him 2 or 3 times back into the room and he goes to see what you need.  Finally, you go to sleep.  You wake up in the morning asking for him and I always say “Daddy is at work.  He will be back this evening.”

from here on it's all new... I wrote it Today 4/7/2010
APRIL 2010 (2 MONTHS SHY OF 4 YEARS OLD)

• We stopped your naps during the day starting a few months back.  It was taking you too long to fall asleep at night but once you stopped napping you started falling asleep at night almost immediately after Daddy puts  you down.  You also sleep in a bit longer.... sometimes as late as 8:30pm.  Your bedtime is 8pm, sometimes even 7:30pm if you are too tired.

• You have enjoyed the last few months of learning at home.  We took you out of MDO last November and ever since I have been teaching you preschool concepts at home.  We do a new letter each week following the order of the alphabet.  We read books, do a craft, come up with games all associated with the letter we are studying.  One of your favorite activities was one we did while studying the letter M.  We hid a little treasure box with treats inside and drew a map of our house to help you find it.  You loved it!  While studying the Letter V, I took you to the grocery store to see and feel each of the different vegetables.  You haven't stopped talking about vegetables ever since.  I am enjoying teaching you more than I have enjoyed anything else in my life.

• We go to story time at the library every other Wednesday.  They have a great program for preschoolers and you love it.  You are also still taking ballet lessons at Steps of Faith and going to AWANAS at church.  Those are your three regular activities but we also enjoy tons of playdates at our house or our friends houses, we go on walks, we play on our swing set outside, we go to Barnes and Noble to read books and play, to Chick-Fil-A to eat lunch and play in their indoor jungle gym.  I think we have a good balance between bumming out at home and staying involved in activities.  I try to pay attention to your mood and that of your sister and if I feel we need to skip dance or anything else to cuddle and watch TV, I don't hesitate to do it. 

• Today (4/7/2010) you watched Disney's Cinderella for the first time.  At the end of the movie, you told me you loved it.  I had to explain things as we were watching.  You didn't understand why the step sisters were being so mean and told me that if someone was being as nice to you as Cinderella was being to the step sisters you wouldn't be mean in return.  I gave you a kiss after you said that.