Today we're sad

Today was Baby CP's last day at daycare.  In order to secure his spot in preschool at the end of July, he had to start at his new school in the class for 2 year olds next Monday.  Much like the weeks leading up to when his nanny moved away, I felt anxious and a bit sad.  I know that he's growing up and is ready to move onto preschool, but we were very happy with his daycare and knew that the ladies there took very good care of him.  I know that it's probably harder on me than it is on him.  For him, it's probably more like one day he'll just think to himself, hey, I haven't gone to that place or seen that friend in a while rather than understanding that today is the last day that he'll be seeing some of the people he has been seeing almost everyday for a year and a half.  As the adults, we think of and dwell on the latter.

He said he was making "sad chocolate face"

3rd Birthday party

Last night I told him that I'll be taking him to the doctor on Friday.

Baby CP: Is the doctor going to stab me?
Me: Ummm...why don't we say "poke?" You're not going to cry, right?
Baby CP: Is the doctor going to poke me?
Me: You're not going to cry, right? Pinky swear?
No response from Baby CP.

Baby CP says all kinds of stuff with a little attitude these days. Sometimes when I ask him to do something, he will say "OK, OK!" like a teenager who has been nagged by his mom.

ABCs and 123s - Baby CP can identify the numbers 1-10 except has some issues with 6 and 9 since they looks so similar. He also knows the letters B, C, H, I, M, O, S, T, V, P consistently.

Learning of opposites continues rapidly - The other day, I told him that if he left his candy "exposed" someone might just take it. I told him that he should have one of his toys stand guard to "protect: it. A couple hours later, we were discussing how the axles of his Francesco Bernoulli race car were all bent.

Me: Francesco Bernoulli's axels bent easily because they are open wheels - they're exposed - But look at Lightning's wheels, they are covered here (with fenders). The axles probably won't bend because...?"
Baby CP: They're protected!

Swimming - Baby CP is improving in swim class every couple of weeks. This week he dove down towards the bottom of the pool with his goggles on to pick up toys and he was relaxing on his back (with the help of a floatation device) and kicking to move backwards.  This weekend, he'll be in the pool without daddy, as he moves up to more independent classes - 3 kids to one teacher.

Mini Photo Session with Terra Tabbytosavit

Six years ago (SIX!), Terra Tabbytosavit photographed our wedding day.  We have some great photos from the big day, so when we received an email flyer about her Mini Mother's Day sessions for family shots, I jumped at the chance. 

The photo session was 20 minutes long which is the perfect length of time for Baby CP.  He likes to take photos and goof off, so we have quite a few good ones.  I could tell at the end of the 20 minutes that he was about done though, so it worked out well.

Sunshine

Some photos of Baby CP in the outdoors from the past couple months.

Pre-haircut

Post-haircut

So casual and cool, right?

Our little man - he looks so much older now...

35 Months Old!

Baby CP turns 35 months old tomorrow, which means the big 3 is coming up quick!  Here he is busy at work making some something pretty.  His recent artwork will be contributed towards Mother's Day gifts for his grandmothers.



Check out his sweet tattoo!

It looks like they're enjoying some storytime.

Baby CP had a pizza night with some friends over the weekend.  Each child made their own pizza at our pizza station and ate it for dinner.  He was a good host and shared his toys with everyone.

This morning, Baby CP woke up in a weird mood.  He's been having nosebleeds at night again, and he had two last night, so I wonder whether he was just a bit too tired this morning. 

Me:  Hey, there is some delicious mango here for you to eat for breakfast.
Baby CP:  NO!  No mango!
Me:  But you love mango.
Baby CP:  Sometimes...but not today.

We walked to BART rather than scooting today, and unfortunately, when he got out of the BART he decided that he didn't want to go to school. 

Baby CP:  Where are we going next?
Me:  School.
Baby CP:  NO!  (as he starts crying).  I don't want to go to school!
Me:  But why?  Don't you like playing with your friends and going to the park?
Baby CP:  Sometimes....but not today.

I guess he has figured out that things aren't always constant, even favorites, and that sometimes, we are in the mood for something while others we are not.

He looks like he's all smiles here though.

Sometimes when Baby CP sees candy or other kids drinking juice he will whine and whine about wanting it.  The weird thing is that when he sees candy in a store, he'll say things like "I see candy, but I don't want it because it's someone else's."  or "I see candy, but I don't want it because it's spicy."  One day, Baby CP said to me that he doesn't have this 18-wheeler truck called Mac from the Cars movie.  I told him that although he doesn't have it, he doesn't need it, because he can pretend that his car carrier is Mac.  He likes to repeat this back to me sometimes...or say that he doesn't need some other toy because he can pretend with one of his existing toys.  I KNOW this phase will pass and he will not be so easy to convince as he gets older, but right now it makes a mommy proud.  The other day, he found my paint roller and told me that it was Frank.  Frank is a combine tractor from the movie Cars.  I was impressed as he tried to run over his Lightning McQueen with his combine just like in the movie.

Baby CP enjoys swim class but it's too short.  Here is a video of him working on what they call "up face."  You put your face down and every now and then you come up.  I think he needs to be pushed a little more and at 3 years old, they graduate to the older class where parents no longer get in the pool.  I hope that will be an easy transition.

In anticipation of Baby CP moving onto preschool where we will unfortunately have to start packing his lunch everyday, I asked Baby CP's teacher what he likes to eat at school.  He apparently eats on his own everyday at daycare, so I thought if we could reproduce his favorites, he will continue to eat at preschool.  They told me that he likes dumplings, steamed egg with ground turkey, pasta with chopped veggies, sandwiches that include tomato, and breaded and fried chicken and pork.  Apparently he's got something against pumpkin.  I can't say I really blame him for that.

We signed up for a short mini photography session this past weekend.  It was only 20 minutes long, but it was just the right amount of time for the attention span of an almost 3 year old.  I sometimes wonder whether we should have done it when he was younger since these are the only professional photos we have of him so far, but I don't think he knew how to pose and behave in front of a camera back then.  I think there were a few pretty good shots.  We'll find out later this week.

Daycare Family & Growing Up

Baby CP has been attending Apple Tree Daycare since January of 2013.  I can't believe he's been there for moer than 15 months now.  Sadly, since he will be turning 3 in a couple months, the time to advance to preschool is approaching.  He may not realize what is happening - he may not know that his last day in June will be the last day he will see his loving daycare providers and his Apple Tree friends - but I will surely be sad.  I think his teacher Jasmine grows a bond with each child and in anticipation of a few of her little ones moving on in the summer/fall, she took this daycare family photo today.

Everyday, when Baby CP goes to daycare, I know he will be well taken care of.  I know that he will eat lunch.  I know that he will take a nap.  I know that he will be disciplined when appropriate.  I also know that I will probably get a couple photos of his activities during the day.  I will definitely miss those updates.

Baby CP has an unhealthy addiction to DisneycollectorBR videos on Youtube.  They're strange videos of a lady opening and assembling disney toys.  He cries for them and the cry is unlike any cry.  It's a cry of pure desperation as if he'll die if he can't watch the videos.  He doesn't throw too many temper tantrums but when he wants to watch these videos he is super stubborn and won't leave the computer even if you say you're going out or upstairs.  Finally, I told him that if he can't stop watching without crying, then I won't let him watch at all.  This usually gets him to calm down.

Loving the Rasta hair that his dad made for his cars.

Baby CP has hit a growth spurt recently.  He looks taller and his legs meatier.  All his 2T pants seem a little too short and I may have to break out the 3T pants.  His head has also grown, because I have had to loosen his bicycle helmet twice in the past week and a half! 


He likes to goof around in his sunglasses.

He will feed himself if it's something yummy like jello or mangos.

A couple months ago, I realized that Baby CP understood the concept of opposites after just a couple examples from me.  What I didn't know was that very soon after understanding that concept, children learn how to disagree with opposites and other logical arguments.   

"No, it's not big, it's small!"

While confronted with some of his remaining dinner on one place and another plate containing mango...

Me:  Here, eat this shrimp.   You like shrimp.
Baby CP:  But, I like mango too.

One of his favorite funny ways to taunt his dad: 
"Mama - I love you a lot.  Baba - I love you a little bit, now cry REALLY REALLY LOUD!"

He has started to distinguish "dark" colors from regular colors.  I don't think he has started pointing out "light" colors yet.  He can identify 1,2,4,7,8.  He has trouble with 6 and 9 which look alike and I don't think he knows 5 is a number.  It kind of looks like an S.  He knows a handful of letters and likes to pretend he can spell or read. 

We took Baby CP to his first baseball game recently.  He picked up on the fan clapping right away.

I need to get a video of Baby CP on his kick scooter.  It took him about a week to get it, but he loves it now and it helps us get to BART in the morning.  I'd much rather have to deal with him on a scooter than have to carry him when he's tired.

34 Months Old!

I went on a trip without Baby CP for the first time this past weekend.  I was gone for four days and I wasn't sure how Baby CP would take it.  I had to get on a redeye and he didn't fall asleep on the way to the airport so I did have to say goodbye and you could see the wheels turning in his facial expression when he was trying to grapple with the idea that I was leaving to go inside the airport without him.  He was sad...shed a few tears without crying loudly and then left with daddy.  I'm told he was a model citizen all weekend, except that he went to bed late. 

He needs a haircut!!

Apparently the weather was beautiful while I was away.  I was only gone for four days, but he sounds different and looks different already.  He seemed a little bigger and his speech patterns are a little bit more fluid and grown up...weird, right?

He tells me this pose is the foot telephone.

While I was gone, Baby CP had some Easter-related arts and crafts at daycare.  To his delight, this involved chocolates...all eaten before I got back.

Here are some photos of Baby CP being helpful in the kitchen.  He put all of the chopped apples into the batter and used his own little whisk to make apple muffins.

And apparently they were making dumplings in daycare today.  Yum!

 

Celebrating Uncle Luke's Birthday in Gualala - 31.5 Months

I guess I forgot to post this 3 months ago -

Last weekend, we celebrated Uncle Luke's birthday up in Gualala, Mendocino County.  Mommy had some motion sickness issues while driving up the VERY windy roads in the dark.  Think stopping dead in the middle of the road and opening the passenger side door so I could throw up.  Yuck.  Thankfully Baby CP had fallen asleep in the back.

Baby CP had so much fun with 3 older buddies and Grande Burrito.  The last couple times we all got together, Baby CP hung back a little - I think because he felt intimidated by the group of kids who were so busy doing older kid things - but this time he really hung out as part of the group and kept up with the older kids the whole time.  They played on the tire swing, climbed up to a wooden tree shack of sorts, played with the arcade game in the living room and messed around with all other kinds of things in the house.  All of the kids were very well behaved.

He loves nothing more than he loves ice cream.

And judging by his face, you can tell chocolate is his favorite flavor.

Hanging out on the small beach with his buddy Caleb.

The small cove was beautiful

We also spent a couple hours trying to get some crabs off of the pier.  When we got home, Baby CP was pretending to throw things down the side of a chair to "get crabs."

When it was time to drive home, I was sure Baby CP would whine and cry about my not sitting in the backseat with him.  I explained to him that I might puke if I sat back there.  He understands the concept of "puke" because when he gets too excited and runs around too much, he starts coughing which triggers his gag reflex and then....puke.  So, lucky for me, he was sympathetic and said that it was ok if I sat in the front.

These days, Baby CP no longer wakes up from naps crying.  He might whine a little, but for the past month or so, he doesn't have those 20-30 bouts of continuous crying and demanding to be held.  I for one am glad that he has outgrown that.

He now likes to drink "like a big boy" and will often refuse a straw.  He also wants to pee "like a big boy" and stands in front of his potty rather than sitting down.  We didn't push these things on him.  He just decided that was what he wanted to do.

Baby CP attended his first preschool playdate.  Mr. CP took him so I did not witness it personally, but I'm told that he behaved well and even helped put some toys away at the end.  I hope his play date at the other preschool(s) go as well.