Meghan

NOLAN

First, a sweet story about Nolan:
One morning last week Nolan told me he really didn't want to go to Jeanni's house. That was out of the ordinary so I tried to get him to tell me why and he couldn't really tell me. Still I just dropped them off as usual thinking he'd get over it quickly, but about 2 minutes later while on my way to work I got a call from Jeanni saying Nolan was really upset and wanted to talk to me. Poor guy was really crying. So I pulled over and wasn't sure what to do - go to work or go back and get him? I didn't want him to think he could just cry and I would stay home from work every day, but this was so unusual that I wondered if he really just needed me. Not to mention I had just had a tough couple of days wondering if I should really be working or not, so I was ripe for letting my working-mom-guilt get the best of me. I waited a few minutes then called back. When it was clear he was still upset I decided to go pick him up. We went back home and had breakfast, then I took both boys to toddler time. When we picked Branson up Nolan yelled bye to Jeanni from the car and said, "I really like Jeanni. She's really nice to me. I'm just having a tough day." Awww. Poor little guy. I think he really was just having a rough morning and needed a little more time with mommy ♥ I will say there was a moment I thought my barely 3 year old had just completely played me and went through this whole charade just to go home to play a board game that he wanted to play that morning, but I wouldn't let him because we were in a hurry. Still might possibly be true, but as the morning went on I still think was being sincere ♥ We went to toddler time and then afterwards I took them back to Jeanni's and he was just fine. Love that boy. And even though it threw a little wrench in the day I'm so glad to have gotten to spend a bit more time with my Nolan and happy that he still wants his mom sometimes.

He uses some pretty big words and it's so cute/funny to hear coming out of a barely 3 year old. Some recent quotes:
"Personally, I just want to wrestle with Branson."
"Oh, I forgot my blankets unfortunately."
"Ugh, so embarrassing."
"Oh, this is terrible!"
"Are you enjoying this book Branson?"
"This is fantastic!"
"I'm collecting all the cards."

He can now count to "a hunderd." He did it for the first time the other night and he was SO proud of himself. As he should be! And, just like him, as soon as he was done he wanted to know how to count past 100.

Sadly, he now says "Instructions" correctly instead of "Inuctrions" like he used to. I was hoping that cute mispronunciation would last forever.

Conversation with Nolan in the car on the way home from the park:
N: Can you take me to Rite Aid so I can get a PEZ dispenser that I don't have?
Me: Not today buddy
Nolan was upset at this so we had a discussion about how we don't always get to do the things we want and we should be grateful for all the PEZ that we do have.
N: Sigh. Fine, I'll just go by myself then (he wasn't mad, just said it in a 'well, if that's what I have to do' kind of tone ☺).
Me: How are you going to go by yourself?
N: Just...get in the car. (again, very matter-of-factly)
Me: But you can't drive. You are only 3 years old and you have to be 16 years old to drive. ::counted to 16:: that's a lot of birthdays!
N: Sigh. Fine. you can just take me after lunch then.

We taught him the word 'compromise' a few days ago. He picked it up pretty quickly and even put it to use recently. We needed to do a quick bath so I told him we weren't going to put toys in. But of course he really wanted to have toys, so he came up with the compromise to pick just one toy. I was proud of him for coming up with it!

Nolan has always been very observant. One morning we walked past the car next to mine to get in and go to Jeanni's. He stopped in his tracks, backed up and said, "Hey, it's the same!" He had noticed the Honda symbol on both of the cars. Then he said, "It's like milk and millcreek" haha. Close buddy. Still working on the difference between the same and similar, but I was still impressed!

One night in the car Justin said to N: "Remember? You have two star wars shirts." Nolan: "Well, actually I have one shirt and one sweatshirt" ☺ Justin has never been more proud or more sure that Nolan is indeed his son than when he so easily found the nuanced problem with his statement. Another example - I said, "Hey Nolan, we can watch Star Wars and Toy Story too if you want." ::silence as you can practically hear the wheels turning in his smart little brain:: Nolan: "Toy Story 2? or Toy Story 1?" Another one: I said to Nolan, "Come here so I can take your pants off." N looks down, "these are shorts."

Lately Nolan will sometimes make a ridiculous statement when he's mad. Something like:
"If you don't do [whatever it is I want], then I don't like blankets!"
"If you don't get me milk, then I don't like my star wars toys!!"
"If you say that (ex. time for bed or time to go to Jeanni's), then I don't want to watch TV!!"
Justin says he understands what Nolan is doing when he says things like this, but I don't get it and can't even relay what Justin tried to explain to me. Just know that their minds think alike ☺

N: "I need alllllll the lightsabers. I need a yellow lightsaber." Me: "I don't think they have yellow lightsabers bud." N: ::thinking:: "well, we just have to find new kyber crystals...ya." Duh, mom. (also, BJ corrected me and they do in fact have yellow lightsabers).

Often Nolan will do a big exasperated sigh, and give us an eyeroll #threenager.

BRANSON

Branson LOVES books. It's the cutest thing. He will grab a book and bring it to you to read. If you ask him, "do you want me to read this to you?" He'll shake his head yes emphatically. Nolan's bed is his favorite place to 'read.' He'll grab a book and go sit on N's bed to flip through it or he'll lead you there to read to him. Or, if you won't go where he wants he'll bring a book to you, shove it in your face until you take it, then (if you're sitting on the ground) he'll climb into your lap to read. If you're lying on the floor he'll just sit on your stomach haha. Oh, and also, for a 1 year old he's surprisingly good with non-board books. I still don't completely trust him unattended, but for the most part he knows how to fairly carefully turn the pages without ripping them ♥

He is very interested/concerned about our choice of glass for dinner. We have glasses with Star Wars characters on them and whenever Justin opens the cabinet to grab one B gets excited and starts pointing and yelling. Then nods his approval or disapproval of his choice. He also always wants the character's image to be facing him on the table haha.

He knows quite a few SW characters already, but his favorites seem to be R2-D2 and C-3PO. As he's flipping through books he always finds and points his cute little finger at those 2 characters. He also points out Darth Vader and growls ☺

This kid has a serious sweet tooth. He's always grabbing M 'n' M's or something like that and grunting at me until I give him one.

He loves his binkies and is a borderline hoarder of them (Aunt Devin's accurate analysis).

He's Very dramatic, flopping and wailing when he doesn't get what he wants. We're in trouble. I fully expect him to be the child on the floor of the toy aisle at Target.

We still worry constantly about his safety. He always has a new bruise, usually on his poor little head.

He and Nolan are starting to play together more and it melts our hearts. Well, except for that one day I stayed home from work and instead of napping Nolan showed B Star Wars books for 45 minutes then dumped all of their stuffed animals in B's crib and climbed in to play instead of napping. Oey. It was pretty cute though and it was good to see them so happy together.

Nolan shut Bran's fingers in the door the other night. Oh we were SO mad at him. In fact, I don't know that I've ever seen Justin so mad. Luckily B was just fine - that's one tough boy. Nolan was in big trouble!

He loves doing a rubber ducky lineup at bathtime ☺

Good big brother ♥

Always climbing up the slide.

Matchy pjs!

He asked me to build a Death Star. This was the best I could do ☺

We went to the library one night when they had animals for the kids to pet! Here's Nolan petting a lemur. We didn't last too long though haha.

Nolan is definitely his father's son ♥

Mom life.

We love the train set at Barnes and Noble.

After Nolan freaked over fireworks, and the boom from the cannon at BYU football games, and the loud movie theater we decided to get these noise cancelling headphones. So far it's been a great purchase!

Hanging out with Gm Bailey

♥ ♥ ♥

Twins!

I follow an Instagram account called Utah With Kids and saw that the bowling alley in Holladay was having a Star Wars themed night, so of course I signed us up! I kept it a surprise for Nolan and he loved it! Unfortunately Justin had to work and couldn't be there, but Gm and Gp Bailey joined in the fun. Jeanni even came at the end ☺

A family of storm troopers.

At first Nolan was really scared of the guy dressed like Darth Maul, but after about 20 minutes he kept seeking him out so he could duel him haha.

Jedi/Sith training

Here are some pics a photographer took of the night.

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Nolan has been wanting to see Star Wars episode 8 for a long time, but we honestly weren't sure how he'd do in a theater and if he'd sit for that long, even for Star Wars. So we kept telling him he'd have to wait until it came to the dollar theater. But then I remembered $5 Tuesday's at the theater so we decided to make a SW night out of it and surprise him again!

We met daddy at In 'n' Out for dinner and then grandma took B home while grandpa, daddy, Nolan, and I went to the theater in Fort Union.

Nolan was all dressed up and ready to go. He was so excited to find out we would be seeing Star Wars, but the excitement turned to terror when we actually got into the room. I think it was just really dark, and loud (he hates loud noises, why didn't I think of that?!), and he didn't know what the previews were. So we took him out and worried we wouldn't get to see the movie at all.

Once he heard the Star Wars music he was at least willing to entertain the idea of watching it. So we went back up to our seats and Nolan sat in daddy's lap while daddy covered his ears for the first 30-45 min. It was actually pretty funny because Nolan was just stone-faced the whole time. No emotion. And he had his DV hoodie on which covered his eyes so all you could see was his tight lips ☺ I'd ask him if he liked it and he didn't move a muscle.

Then at one point he said he needed to go potty so I took him and when we got back he was a new person! He sat on my lap and after a while he didn't even want me covering his ears. By the end of the movie he was super in to it! Standing up and doing the force at the screen haha. It was awesome. It's kind of crazy that the more into the movie it got (and it's a long movie) and the later in the evening it got he was MORE into it. But whatevs.

I'm so happy he loved it. He talks all the time about wanting to see it again!

I tried to sneak a picture of him standing in the theater, but it's hard to see.