CARTER is THREE

Dear Carter,

I wrote you this letter a little early this year for your THIRD birthday because I knew it might be likely I would be at the hospital with your new baby brother or sister.   

Although your year has been wonderful; you are SUCH a blessing in our family, lately, you’ve been working on some pretty major changes that have kept you busy and tired as well.  First of all, you started preschool.  Watching you waltz up to Miss Hilarie’s door like you owned the place and running in without so much as a wave goodbye (as I was crying through my sunglasses) was exactly you.  My confident, outgoing guy.  It’s been hard for you to feel like you are missing out on things at home while you are there, but you are doing sensational at school.  I love how much you tell me about your day- please always keep doing that as I will always care.

After many, many months of being completely uninterested in anything having to do with the potty, you are beginning to make some steps forward there.  A few weeks ago, I swear you were just going to potty train yourself- you were going all the time for a few days, but now have backed off a little and are taking baby steps in that direction little by little.  Although Mommy is a complete control freak, I have learned from your brothers to let the potty trainee control that situation so I am letting you lead and we are figuring it out. 

Another big milestone for you was going from your crib to your toddler bed.  Many things you’ve done have been on your own timeline, not mine- rolling over, pulling yourself up to a standing position when you were only sixth months (which caused you lots of falling over injuries) and this is no exception.  One day you were perfectly content in your crib, the next day you were climbing out like it was your J-O-B.  I was not ready, not even close.  I like to keep people in their cribs for as long as possible.  Even after you started climbing out, I was still fighting you for control over that milestone.  I flipped your sleep sack inside out of backwards making it harder for you to take it off to climb out.  I changed where your pillow was, moved your chair out of the way, even contemplated flipped your crib so that the longer side was facing out.  Throughout those attempts to keep you little, you would let me think it worked and then, a couple of days later when I was just starting to think I won, you’d climb out again.

You might be wondering why I was so hesitant to switch you into your toddler bed.  Well, I could tell you weren’t going to be someone who would make that transition without a little debauchery and I wasn’t ready for it yet.  Also, everything I read told me that you shouldn’t do the big boy bed thing when other changes were happening (hello?! Potty training, new sibling, starting school- that sounded like a recipe for disaster).

I finally admitted defeat to you when there was an evening where everyone was in their bedrooms, Daddy and I included… Your monitor was on and right next to me.  We heard some noise and assumed it was one of your big brothers coming out.  Daddy went to go check and it was you.  You had somehow climbed out of your crib without making any noise, opened up the door, and had actually gone downstairs without us knowing.  You said you wanted to play basketball.  I knew I had lost the battle and your crib life was over. 

As predicted, changing into a toddler bed has not been the easiest thing.  I went into your room yesterday during naptime and you had taken the Desitin  diaper rash cream and put it all over your hands, clothes, and bed.  Also, I have walked in to find all your diaper wipes strewn about the room, and we’ve already taken most of your books and put them way up high because you were taking them all off of your shelf.  Thank goodness we have recently purchased a video monitor so we can see what in the world you’re up to. 

You have wonderful reasons why you made each of the decisions above, which makes me think you will be fantastic at explaining yourself should you make a questionable decision.

This year besides all those other milestones, you tried gymnastics and loved it, tried music class and loved it, and are looking forward to playing some soccer with your brothers in a couple of weeks.

Even though I think you are very excited to be a big brother, I’m a bit worried about your transition because I know you love being my littlest guy.  You’ve been so kind and sweet to my growing belly and your baby brother/sister is already totally in to you; he/she kicks most often when you are the one talking and touching. 

Other things about you- you are incredibly verbal, incredibly funny, and incredibly snuggly.  You love nothing more than to have “skunkgle time.” I hope you never say that word right.  You love to ride your balance bike and you are an absolute bullet on that thing.  You would prefer to be outside all day and not even come in for meals or anything else.  One of your favorite places in the world is District 5- the trampoline park.  You call it the “jumping place” and you ask to go all the time.  You love to read, which I am so grateful for.  You are also someone who picks favorite books and wants to read those constantly over and over and over.  Nolan and Judah love to teach you things like letters and numbers- I hope you always let them; they have been fantastic and eager teachers to you and so kind and patient as you learn.  Your face is arguably the most demonstrative in the family (although I certainly give you a run for your money).

And very importantly, you are still my Bing.  You don’t always love for other people to call you that anymore, but you always let me <3

You are so loved, Carter.  I hope being three brings a year of joy, learning, kindness, and so much fun. 

You are my favorite Carter that’s ever been.

I love you,

Mommy

FLYING on your balance bike (you wear your helmet 99% of the time, I swear). 

I'm sure you were about to race those cars all over me. 

YOU LOVE OUTSIDE even when the winter is LOOOOOOOONG. 

You are a potty superhero.  

Yep, that's you. 

making your mark on the Valentine's Day cards for your class.