"Just Nolan": 3.5 years old

As I'm sitting here watching our home turn into boxes, I'm trying to catch up with backlogged blog posts. 

We haven't had a Nolan-centric post in a long time, and in the meantime, he turned 3.5 in October! Here's a glimpse at how our big boy is growing at warp speed:

• Nolan is a pro now on his tricycle! We've taken the bike all around the neighborhood and on the Radnor trail and he does great. We've kept the handle on the back to push him if he needs a break :)

From the Spring Time - he looks SO LITTLE to me already!

Riding around our driveway

Tongue out in concentration

Tongue close up

Practicing down in the basement too.

This summer was the year of the bubbles outside. I loved having my maternity leave to spend the long summer days blowing bubbles outside with him. After how much he loved the bubble machines at the various birthday parties we attended, we bought one for his 3rd birthday party too and got lots of extra use out of it afterwards.

Bubble Machine with Miss Meghan

Love these two

Bubble man!

Thomas bubble maker at Nonna and Pop Pops!

• Tantrums/Threenager: The first half of threes was really rough with tantrums. Definitely worse than "terrible two's"! But we've noticed a big improvement now so we think we are on our way out of this phase (at least with less frequency).

Mid tantrum.

Tantrums are more safe when you wear a helmet!

• My big boy LOVES to be a big helper. Especially in the kitchen! One of his favorite things is to make muffins with mommy :) I love this and hope he always remains interested in cooking!

Sometimes making muffins requires "Muffin Making Hats" when you bake with a 3 year old!

He loves pouring the batter into the mini muffin pan!

Testing the finished product is half the fun!

Baking requires head gear always!

helping wash the lettuce for a salad at Shelby's house

• Nolan has really turned the corner with his eating! He is a fantastic eater now, and not nearly as picky (but still within the three year old palate preferences).

I'll just eat this slice of pizza that's as big as my head!

Quesadilla at Qdoba - a family favorite lately

Of course cupcakes - who doesn't love them?!

• Loves everything construction and trains! One of my favorite memories of being home with Nolan during maternity leave was having him dress up like the construction workers when they were working on our street. He walked around checking out the work and the workers loved it!

What better form of entertainment could there possibly be for a three year old?!

Dean getting in on the fun

• Arts and Crafts. Nolan is finally coming around to more art/craft interest. For awhile, he'd bring home "art" from school that was literally a single line on a piece of paper when other kids had a lot more effort put in - guess it "wasn't his thing". Lately though, he's shown a renewed interest, especially since learning more about writing letters/numbers. I was able to do a few fun crafts projects with him at home and at school this year:

So concentrated! Working on a pennant that now hangs in his room!

Carving a pumpkin painted by Nolan this year for Halloween

He was really into painting pumpkins this year! This was at the fall festival at his school.

• Playground fun. Nolan is getting more and more skilled and daring at the playground! I remember watching the older kids when Nolan was a baby and having a heart attack as they carelessly jumped and climbed worrying they would get hurt all the time. Now I have a boy that's getting there himself, and I feel much more comfortable since I know he is capable. I had to remind myself to take a step back and let him figure things out and encourage him to be more bold as he tends to be tentative. He's really blossomed lately and I am amazed at all that he is capable of now!

Big Boy!

Still prefers the baby swings!

• Imagination/Stories: Here comes the big jump in imaginative play! I love the stories he is imagining and scenerios. Hopefully he will always keep a piece of this in his personality as he grows.

Super hero with "helmet" aka Bumbo chair

Wearing a hooded towel as a cape

Firefly Nolan!

• He is THE BEST Big Brother! I didn't include too many Emmy pics here, but one cannot really fully talk about Nolan without mentioning his great role as a big brother. We have rarely if ever seen jealous behavior and the two of them just adore each other - I am in heaven watching them interact together. May they always have a strong bond, and each other in their lives.

Nolan is Emmy's favorite person in the entire world. Her entire face lights up when she sees him even from when she was very very little.

I may be biased, but I think I have the cutest duo on the planet.

Other good memories:

Summer fun at Sister Cities park in Philly

He's always finding special rocks and leaves along our walks. This was at Radnor trail.

Enjoying Federal Donuts at Spruce Street Harbor Park in Philly - such an awesome spot!

Splashing in the fountain at Spruce St Harbor with Cylar!

These two play so well together!

Nolan has really started asking a lot more questions about his Aunt Emily this year. I still am struggling with how to explain everything to him, but for now he knows that she is present in every sunset, and was excited to sing happy birthday to her this past September while enjoying cupcakes in her honor.

His first time watching one of the Emily videos I made. He actually loved it and pointed out everyone he knew in the pictures like Mommy, Daddy, Nonna, and Pop Pop.

Nolan's first day of Preschool. His teachers are Miss Lisa and Miss Kyle. He wants to be a Train conductor when he gets older! Clutching his favorite Lightening McQueen and Mater cars.

Early morning "eating breakfisk while I lay down". Favorite choice is blueberry waffles!

The only way to get him through bath time these days is to bribe him with Ice Cream afterwards. It works!

Still best buds

Other notes to end this marathon post:

• Nolan's communication is still unbelievable to me. This kid is now using 3+ syllable words (similar, impossible, etc) and is also picking up expresions/sayings. We try to jot things down as they come, but I love this phase! Many people remark on how clearly he talks and how adorable his little voice is. He has a very distinct annunciation/tone that he adds to ends of words/sentences that is hard to describe, but sort of lengthens and changes the key of the last word. We need more video!
• Recent favorite Nolan pronunciations:
• Breakfisk = Breakfast
• Kaisert = Kaiser (dog)
• Telescote = Telescope
• Pushions = Cushions
• Geisert = Geiser
• Fogust = August (and fall combo?)
• Instruction = Construction
• Kajamas = Pajamas (a personal favorite)
• Apple Spider = Apple cider (ewww... apple spider!)
• Bacoon = Cocoon
• Nolan has started giving me "safety tips" such as :
• Be careful putting together the big (octonauts) ship so that you don’t break it.
• Be careful around the train. We shouldn’t go on the tracks.
• Be careful when you’re driving.
• Potty training! 
• We've made some HUGE leaps and bounds in this area over the past 6 months. Nolan is now 100% potty trained (both #1 and #2!) at home and school. He still doesn't like to use public toilets or adult sized toilets without the built in insert that we have at home. This means when we are out for the day, we put him in pull ups. He's started saying he has to go to the bathroom when we're out and will come to the bathroom, but chickens out when they don't have the kid sized potties like at school. He also hates bathroom fans and the hand dryer in public bathrooms. I'm not really pushing this too hard because he's so great at school and home, and probably just needs to come around in his own time.
• Pooping on the potty was not an easy accomplishment, but we finally got there! First it was only on the blue baby bjorn potty at home, then also on the big potty at home with the insert, and now he goes at school all the time! We are so proud of him - he earned many rewards during the journey, most of which were octonaut figures and then finally the big "Octopod" once he successfully went at school. Hopefully this doesn't get interrupted when we move! :(
• My Analytical kid.
• This kid would be best friends with Dwight Schrute from the office with his eye for detail/inspections! He is the first to note a burnt out light bulb or change in any surrounding. He blows me away in how much knowledge he has about directions in the car and how to get everywhere ("mommy, why didn't you turn that way since that's the way to school?" "this is the way we went to Nonna and Pop Pop's house", etc). He is certainly paying attention in the car as our little navigator and has even been known to cry if we don't go the route he wants due to traffic/etc!
• "Just Nolan". 
• Nolan has moved into a single name preference to the likeness of Cher, Bono, or Pele. When asked what his full name is, he responds "Just Nolan". He doesn't like to be referred to as Nolan Lucas or Nolan B_____. He loves that his name is Nolan (and has never had another Nolan to differentiate from!). We think it's pretty hilarious (and when pressed he DOES know his full name and could provide it if lost/etc for safety) so we let it ride and enjoy his quirky/silly personality!
• Bedtime Routine
• Nolan has started requesting Joe to bring him to bed - especially since he lets him watch sometime short on the iPad in bed! I do love to see this bonding time the two of them have though - he's certainly grown closer to daddy since I took my new job and had to rely on Joe for more help with school drop offs/pick ups and house duties. After Daddy, he typically requests "mommy songs", which means I lay and cuddle with him in bed for a few minutes, usually talking about our day (he rarely actually wants to actually sing songs and when I do, he interrupts me with more things he wants to say!) I cherish this time and often can't stop thinking and marveling how this incredible kid is mine. I always take the opportunity to tell him how much he is loved and how proud of him we are. I find so much comfort in having this as part of our daily routine. We end it with a simple "love you" "uggamugga" (rub noses like Daniel Tiger) and "sweet dreams". A beautiful way to end every day. 

Love you "Just Nolan" always and forever!