Oskar is 3

I never knew this kind of love until you made me a Mama three years ago, and now on your birthday every year and the days leading up to it, I start to really go within and get emotional as I think about the day you came to be with us on the outside and just how much you’ve grown in the years since. Now with your sissy, I get to experience these emotions of bittersweet happy love tears twice a year.

My little guy, today you are T H R E E ! 3 whole years of you! You aren’t such a little guy anymore and definitely not a toddler anymore! You’re my little boy! This year has held within it so many challenges, yet so so so many milestones and newness for you. You’ve been brave, loving, caring, and happy despite all the unexpected challenges. As any 2-3 year old would be, you’ve also had your moments, but in 2020….who hasn’t!

This year, you’ve learned to TALK TALK TALK! I have a video of you from January telling me in 3 word only sentences that you wanted to leave a store… “Go home vooom-vooom,” you said. Now in December you are speaking in full sentences, telling me about your feelings, counting to 14 (sometimes 16), singing your ABCs, memorizing Jingle Bells and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and telling me about construction/farming vehicles and machines. Things I didn’t know! You’re teaching me!

In March we started to stay home because of this nasty Covid virus. I’m hoping when you’re older you just don’t remember any of it, but in reality, it’s been hard on us both. And the whole family! We went from Montessori, soccer, and community classes with friends and playdates all the time to basically figuring out how to stay busy at home most of the time. You played with A LOT of dirt this year, which you love! Mostly what I’ve gleaned from this experience is just how brave, resilient, and creative you are in your play. I swear you are just as happy to play with dirt, rocks, and cardboard as you are playing with toys. Not to mention, you wear a mask with less complaints than some grown adults!!

In May, you not only became a big brother, but you were in your crib on the other side of our tiny hall when she made her entrance! We’re still not sure if you were awake or not in there, but you stayed quiet until you heard her crying! Watching you become a big brother has been one of the greatest privileges of my lifetime so far! You are the sweetest big brother and always want to check on her or give her a kiss or hug. You are starting to talk to her when you play together. Just today she was sitting on the floor while you were playing peekaboo with a giant box left over from Christmas and you popped out, said “Peekaboo!,” then walked over to her, tilted your head, and said, “isn’t that a fun game, Goldie?” My heart bursts every day watching the two of you together. I can’t even get through this paragraph without tears filling my eyes.

In September we started your potty learning journey as the cool kids call it! You have done remarkably well. I think I was more nervous about starting than you have ever been about the actual experience. It’s just another example of how brave you have been with change in your very young life this year. Change has flown at you at break-neck speed, and you’ve taken it all in stride.

Then in November, you transitioned from your crib to a big boy bed! Once again, you flew through that change with no problems what so ever! Once again, I had no reason to be hesitant, yet I was. These transitions, I feel, were more easy on you than they were on me!

We’ve watched you get excited about holidays for the first time this year, which has been so fun! I think you’ve loved Halloween and Christmas the best so far.

Now for the really mushy stuff, but I’m me, and eventually you’ll expect nothing less. I’ll try not to embarrass you as much when you’re a teenager. Three years ago around this time, you told my body and my midwife, “Hey! It’s go time” with a little blood pressure spike! My midwife sent us to hospital on the afternoon of the 29th, they started inducing me late at night, and the next day (the 30th!) my water broke around 1:30pm and after that you wasted no time! You came, literally, flying out into the tub water at 4:15pm! The midwife missed your entrance, but the nurse and I brought you up to my chest. A perfect baby boy, despite all of my concerns about your two vessel chord! Notice a theme, all my concerns, yet you still doing everything with ease!

You are caring, you are sweet, you are inquisitive and curious, you are high energy but focused, you love learning, you make us laugh daily, you’re a picky eater, a good cleaner and toy picker-upper, you love to sing and make up songs, you are usually seen with some toy vehicle in you hand, and you have a dimpled smile and a twinkle in your eyes that lights up any room you enter.