30 Months and Counting

On the 18th you were 30 months old...and in 7 months I'll be turning 30 too. I don't feel 30, so that's all that matters!

The last 30 months of my life have truly been a gift from God. You are the world to me and there is absolutely nothing as important to me as you. The person I was before you came into my life is so far from who I am today. I could have never imagined the love I have for you. No one can truly define unconditional love until they've experienced it!

In September you had tubes put in your ears and since then your vocabulary has gone through the roof. The things that come out of your mouth put me in ahh. Last week when we didn't bring your blanket with to daycare (you noticed a few miles down the road) you begged me (okay, told me) to "Turn Around Mama!" This weekend we were at my uncle John's funeral when you noticed people sat down when they weren't supposed to and you shouted, "Stand Up Guys!"
Before the tubes we were really the only people that understood what you were saying, now you speak clear as day!

The other morning as I was carrying you to the car you leaned over, with your hand on my cheek, and said, "Mommy, I miss you." I hadn't exactly been anywhere other than home, but nonetheless my heart simply melted...I think you knew what you were doing!!! Well, it worked.

You are really quite funny, and you know that too. In the car you will ask me to sing "Barn!" which somehow related to "Old McDonald." In your version no animals are discriminated against simply because they have no place on a farm, you include all animals and while you're at it you tend to throw in Mommy's Car and Daddy's Truck! "Old McDonald had Mommy's Car...with a vroom vroom here..." If you get board with that you pull out the ever so trusty "Wheels On the Bus," again in your own version. "The cows in Mommy's Car go Moo moo moo Moo moo moo, all day long!"

You have not gave in what-so-ever on being stubborn. For months now we have been trying to get you to sleep in your own bed. It's our own fault. This Spring we started to let you cuddle with us and watch TV in our bed...and now here we are in November with a up-hill battle. We tried sitting you down and discussing it, tried continually taking you back to your bed after you leave it, and last weekend we even pulled your mattress into our room. You slept on it, but not without me uncomfortably laying beside you.

My Doctor suggested something that I was originally very against; locking you in your room. After sleepless nights of taking you back to your room, we gave in. Your dad had to switch out the locks on our rooms...and now on a few occassions we've actually resorted to locking you in your room. Some nights your dad gives in, and some nights I do. Once you've cried yourself to sleep we breathe a sigh of relief only to have you start crying ten minutes later. The other night you kept screaming, "Mommy I'm Happy!" I've even tried laying in your room with you, but you still stand at the door screaming, "Daddy Open The Door!" You have no idea how this kills me each time. I don't like the thought of locking you in to your room.

The most distrubing factor in all of this is that you know taking off your diaper is a bad thing. On two seperate occassions you have taken off your diaper and pee'd on your floor. I don't think you've gone to the bathroom on purpose, but since the diaper wasn't there what else was there to do? So not only do we have to fear you destroying your room, we have to fear what you can do with a dirty diaper!

Bribery...only good if it works! I have broke down and bought you toys, though Christmas is just a month away, in hopes you'll want them so bad you'll sleep in your own bed. This is when you prove to be smarter than any kid on the planet!!! When I showed you the packaged Dora toy you were all about sleeping in "Kenzy's room!" That is until it was actually time to go to Kenzy's room. You Dad said, "If you're not going to sleep in Kenzy's room you need to give Mommy back the Dora toy." With a long face you gave the toy one last look and handed back to me. With a pause of silence you shouted "Mommy's Room!" Ugh.
My second attempt was BIGGER and supposedly BETTER...but no such luck. You and I were in Target and I spotted a rather large Dora pillow, shaped as Dora herself, and thought this would close the deal for sure! For WRONG! All through out the store you sang how you were going to "Sleep in Kenzy's bed!" and as I quized you, you assured me that you would be sleeping in your bed. Bedtime: different story! Before we could even discuss it, let alone fight about it, you walked up to me and handed me the Dora pillow and said, "Mommy take back to store Kenzy sleep in Mommy's bed." DAMN IT!

The last two nights you have truly tested both your dad and and I. Two nights ago you screamed for a good 25-minutes, "I'm Happy!! Open The Door!" and then all of the sudden totally silence fell over your room. I guess I'm a pesimist but I knew it was time to check on you, and TA-DAH! There you were in your birthday suit reading a book. Flashbacks of you watching yourself pee on your carpet ripped through my mind and right there you won the battle for that night. Last night I wasn't home until after bedtime but when I got home you were fast asleep next to your dad. This morning I came across the evidence as to why you won out again...all of your dresser drawers had been pulled out and clothes were everywhere!

What's next, I ask myself...bare room with a bed, blanket and pillow. So here we are again...square one .

Your memory is incredible!! This is where I start to believe that you were switched at birth! You love the movie, "Curious George," and even more so you like the soundtrack. Jack Johnson has taught you some great harmonies not to mention some new words. You sing along like a groupie waiting for your backstage pass! You can also sing all the songs on Dora the Explorer and Go Diego! Go! Yes you watch them every chance we give you, but still! You say the Spanish words just like your saying your other favorite words, "Apple Juice, Candy and Ozzy NO BARK!" Any chance I get I ask you to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Your emphasis on certain words puts me to tears as I giggle ever so quietly!

Punk-a-noodle...I love you SOOOOOOOO much!
I can't wait for the next 30 months...but can we slow them down a little???

Love, Mama