The Emotional Adventures of a 3 Year Old

Let's start by looking at what we were doing one year ago.
Carter was 2.

I was about 6 weeks pregnant in this picture
and Ryan was finishing his fellowship.
Sweet, smiling Carter.

He had his typical 2 year old trials. His language skills were
developing more and more and he was learning how to test limits.

I took lots of pictures, of course.
When searching through the '08 files,
it was easy to find pictures with the same engaging smile.

Change was an adventure...it was fun!
He moved from his crib to a big boy bed!

Woo hoo!

Fun at the zoo.
Here began Carter's fascination with maps.

Riding the train at the zoo.
He is sitting so still.

A few weeks later, he got ride Thomas the Train.
Excited.
Still.
Focused.

(we rode a lot of trains and wore a lot of overalls in April of '08)

Still seated.
Focused.
Seriously Excited.

And happy!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

3 is........different.
Not bad, not terrible, just different.

It's hard being 3.
His language skills have developed so much in the past year.
However, his vocabulary and his reasoning run parallel.

He has so many words to express his wide array of emotions.
So many words to negotiate with mom & dad.
So many words to say kind things.
So many words to make us laugh.
So many words to express his extreme displeasure with our ideas.
And a few words we are still trying to figure out.

Here, he was particularly displeased with my idea to take his picture.

Not even going to show his face in this one....

More displeasure...

What makes 3 even more challenging is his refusal to nap on some days.
He will do alright until about 5 or 6, then he usually lays on the couch
and has a major meltdown at some point during his bedtime routine.

Being 3 has brought out so many dimensions in his personality.
Its hard, but equally fun.

He loves to build things - he gets so focused...

Here he is constructing a car out of pieces from his wooden tool set.
Bolts become the tires and nails become the axle.
Pieces of wood became the car's body.

He can be playful and adventurous.
He likes to go head first down the slide sometimes.
He usually slows down enough that he stops himself ,
but this time he was going "super fast" and he did a flip.
Still smiling though.
He loves to play outside.
Dirt, rocks, tractors - that's where all of those things live.
That is where he wants to be.

Putting on a little concert.
He is not shy. Not shy at all.

3 also brings out some odd (and funny) behavior.
Like taking a pretend nap on the kitchen floor.

Or watching TV while under an umbrella.
Or "rainbrella" as he refers to it .

Or laying like this.

Hiding is a popular activity.
Here he is hiding in the laundry.

Hiding in the bathroom

And hiding in the car

Carter has a big heart.
As self-involved as kids this age can be (he shares this trait too),
he is thoughtful, compassionate, and nurturing.

He is a helper (most of the time)
He helps out with Cannon by singing a song when he is crying,
"teaching" him things, like how to roll over and how to talk.


He is outgoing.
He introduces himself to everyone and will often
extend his hand for a friendly handshake.

He gives compliments.
If there is more than one person around,
he makes sure to find something to compliment each person on,
as if he doesn't want anyone to feel left out.

He is thoughtful.
He wants to throw everyone a birthday party.
He loves to pick flowers and have you put them behind your ear.

Here he was setting up a picnic.
He was expecting a lot of people.
He even feeds the dog.
If Murphy's bowl is empty, he fills it up.
He also feeds his stuffed dog.

It can be hard to get a good family shot these days.
Trying to get an infant,
3 year old and Dad to smile simultaneously
is going up against some stiff odds.

But when you least expect it.....he will crack a smile.
We're only 4 months into Carter as a 3 year old and what an adventure it has been!