Connor turned 3!

How do I have a three-year-old?!  I mean, it's not like I'VE aged three years.  Nope, no way, not happening. :)  The past three years have flown by and I now get that phrase The days are long but the years are short.  I'd add "and the nights are fleeting!"  I don't think I can remember what it's like to feel rested, but that's not Connor's fault so much as it is his brother's.  I'm just not sleeping too well most nights these days.  Might as well get used to it, I guess.

The McHusband and I both took the day off so we could celebrate Connor's birthday on the 15th.  I'm sure he would have enjoyed a party with his friends and extended family in attendance, but he plays with his friends every day.  What he doesn't get is his parents' undivided attention in combination with a fun activity and presents.  I knew we made the right decision when, halfway through breakfast and after only getting three helium balloons and a taxi to add to his car collection, Connor looked up from his waffle and said, unprompted and seemingly out of nowhere, "Thank you, Mommy, for my happy birthday."

(BTW, the surgery to repair my burst heart went very well.)

We spent the morning at a bounce place where always-cautious Connor waited until the last five minutes to finally try a slide, but he had a great time with his other options like shooting foam balls across a bounce house, dodging a wrecking ball, and knocking foam balls off the air they were balanced on.

We gave Connor three choices for lunch: a hot dog, Mexican (the kid loves chips and salsa), or pizza.  He chose pizza so we ended up at Blaze Pizza before heading home for a nap.  After his nap, he got his big (literally) present from us: a hand-me-down John Deere riding toy.  He was hesitant at first (remember, he's no daredevil), but he has warmed up to it quite a bit and now asks to ride it most evenings when we get home.  That night, he had a normal dinner and then he blew out his "3" candle and devoured his cupcake.  All in all, a very good day and one I know the McHusband and I will always remember and cherish.

So a little about Connor at age 3.  He's perfect, the end. :)

Okay, Connor for real.  He is smart, sweet, funny and, maybe most importantly, very agreeable.  We rarely have to resort to anything resembling a timeout and even when he does have a toddler moment, he gets over it quickly.  He still watches very little TV but we've branched out to include Doc McStuffins with Mickey Mouse and the Roadster Racers and Chuggington.  As is typical of toddlers, who get on a kick and stay on it until the next obsession pops up, right now (and new this week) Connor just wants to watch Doc McStuffins.  Thanks to Aunt Jenny, Connor now has some Play Doh to play with at home and he's been having fun with it and the trucks that came with it.

Speaking of obsessions...  Connor LOVES vehicles.  He has a fleet of rescue vehicles, some construction trucks, a variety of matchbox cars, and a few of the McHusband's model cars that he's allowed to play with.  He comes by this preference honestly so we aren't at all surprised that he loves just about anything with tires.

The McHusband and Connor went to the Monster Truck show when it was here at the end of January and Connor loved it. More recently, they went to Cars & Coffee, a once-a-month gathering of car enthusiasts in our area, and they saw two Lamborghinis among other cool cars.  He was adequately impressed.  But his favorites?  The garbage truck and police car that WEREN'T part of the show.

A pic that Heather snapped at the car show.

I expect Connor to learn new things at daycare, or school as we call it, but he surprises me sometimes with what he knows.  This past weekend, Connor was playing in my bathroom while I was getting ready and he just said, out of the blue, "Red, blue, and lello are primary colors."  I had to do a quick inventory in my head to make sure he was right as it's been a long time since I had that lesson.

Connor went to the dentist on the 23rd for a check-up/be familiar with the dentist so he isn't scared when they actually clean his teeth appointment, and he did great.  Like I said, he's very agreeable and is generally happy to just go with the flow.  Plus, he got to wear "gunglasses."

So far, Connor is still a good eater who turns his nose up to very little.  Right now, he LOVES bell peppers and raw tomatoes, his favorite condiments are flavorful ones like mustard (even the spicy kind) and salsa, and I don't think he's met a hummus he doesn't like.  Of course, he has a sweet tooth as well and is partial to Cadbury Eggs.  I feel kinda bad getting him hooked on a seasonal treat...

We have Connor's three-year check-up on the 3rd and I don't doubt that he'll be in the upper percentiles for height, weight, and head size.  3T pants at this point are barely long enough when he's standing and definitely too short when he's sitting, but they are also in danger of being too big around the waist.  Thank goodness shorts season is right around the corner!

As I mentioned in my last post, Connor is fully daytime potty-trained and for the most part handles all of that himself.  He is still using a training potty most of the time, but he gets it assembled and can empty it without any assistance from us.  I typically just let him handle things then go behind him to check for any lingering messes, but I think it's important that he feels a sense of accomplishment for taking care of business beginning to end.  Plus, soon enough, I could be otherwise engaged for a lot of his potty breaks so he needs to be somewhat independent in that arena.

Connor's Corner o' Toys

Connor often tells the McHusband and me, "Mommy/Daddy, you my best friend."  He also likes to dole out compliments and if I'm wearing a dress, he'll tell me how much he likes it.  Just the other night he told me how much he liked the flowers on my pj pants.  Connor also understands that he needs to use good manners.  He's really good about "please" and "thank you" and he even has us basically role-play with him where he tells us, "Mommy say 'Please I can have the car?" if he has one and he wants me to ask for it essentially just so he can ask for it back just as nicely.

Okay, I guess it's obvious, but I could go on and on about Connor.  He is a wonderful kid, and the McHusband and I are grateful that he's happy and healthy.  We are definitely trying to soak up these last two months with him as our only child before he becomes a big brother.  Pretty sure I'll need another heart surgery when I see him in that role...

PS  Happy Birthday to the McMom today!  We hope you have a fabulous day!