Ellie turns 3 this week! Although it feels like she's been 3 for a few months now. She's tall (40ins) and thinning out, with muscle tone replacing baby chubbiness (weighing about 38lbs, 5T shirts, 4T pants and growing into size 10 shoes). Ever since she started at the new school, she's been acting, thinking and talking more like a kid than a toddler. I think going from being the oldest at Gretchen's House to the youngest at Community Daycare, has pushed her to new levels. She'll tell us something is "cool" or will give us "Ok, Ok, I get it!" (said with rolling eyes and all) when we're correcting her. Yep, she's been hanging out with 5 year olds.
But looking back on the blog posts from this past year, I am most happy to report being past the terrible 2's (knocking on wood and fingers crossed). With all this new found excitement and confidence, Ellie has been a really wonderful person to be around these last few months. We've heard from some parents that 3 was way worse than 2. But I have a theory that the tough, defiant behavior happens sometime in the span of these two years. For some (like us) it was at 2 and for others it's at 3.
Leaving her third year of life, she is a fully functional human. She can write her name. Ride a bike (with training wheels). Articulate her needs. Use scissors like a surgeon. Climb just about anything (like our little 5ft tall climbing wall). Use a knife to cut foods like tomatoes. Make her own PB&J sandwiches. Wash and comb her hair. Get dressed. Recognize most letters of the alphabet. Knows her colors. And is doing basic math (addition and subtraction) pretty well.
There are some elusive talents as well. Potty training is very hit or miss. She doesn't mind going pee on the toilet...as long as you remind her. But #2 is still preferred in a diaper/pull up/underware. A continuous night's sleep happens maybe once a week. It's still the given that she wakes up once a night for milk. And pacifiers, oh pacifiers, are still the preferred object of comfort and happiness. (There's no lovely/stuffed animal that we've been able to establish...she's just not a stuffed animal kind of kid)
We've talked and talked about what to do with pacifiers but have decided to let them stay for now. With Eva coming and being another potential pacifier user, we decided that it was not the time to ween Ellie. But we are always on the lookout for opportunities to limit pacifier use and angles we might play when the time comes.
Food is still a battleground. She'll eat better for others in locations where food choice is limited. But she openly and readily fights us at meal times. (I think in part because she knows there are other, Ellie preferred choices in the kitchen). We rarely give in to demands but do make very boring choices of what to present her. It's a limited menu of grains, dairy and some fruits. Lots of proteins have been ejected this past year...it's a rare occasion we can get her to eat meat or eggs.
One of her teachers describes Ellie as an "All In" kind of kid. She has no issues being the first to do something. She prefers to be in charge of activities. She wants to win at everything. She enjoys being around older children. (maybe it's her size that makes her feel more comfortable around the big kids) She's a happy, outgoing child that wants to know everyone's name and says hi to most anyone.
Other Ellie-isms: She still enjoys drawing and loves her magnadoodle most for creating. She still takes daily naps (we've tried dropping them with poor results). But her bedtime is now much later at 9-ish. She wakes up between 7 and 8. She loves being outside and getting dirty is no issue. She is most happy working with Daddy on house projects. She respectfully uses many household tools like hammers, screwdrivers, tape measures, etc. Her favorite color is pink, along with purple. She loves little play heeled shoes (and is freakishly good at wearing them). Toys have little interest. She enjoys taking apart and manipulating household objects. She hates having her hair done or teeth brushed. And loves being around her family.
This upcoming year will be unlike any of her others as we welcome Eva. Ellie will become a sister and have to learn life as a sibling. I predict that she will love and hate it all the same time.
