How is this gorgeous little girl 3 already?? Her understanding and relational skills makes it seem like she's older actually, but around 2 1/2 she started some pretty intense fit throwing. Much later than my other kids. So since I'm used to that sort of behavior being solidly in the 2s for my other kiddos it makes her seem younger in that way. It looks like 3s might be the more challenging age for Xan in learning to obey and not throw fits for what she wants. Of course I know 3 will still be filled with fun and special moments as well. We'll make it through!
This girl still speaks sooooo well. I forget it's a three year old talking to me sometimes. The amount of words she knows and that she even uses them correctly with proper grammar is astounding at times. One of these days she'll seem her age in speech right?? She almost never stops talking. She's was even talking to me as I was taking that picture above. I always have to ask her to stop talking during science co-op or prayer. I love her sweet voice. I really need to try to record more of the fun conversations we have, but if I ever try to get a video she starts acting super silly. I'll have to try to go stealth sometime. ;)
I feel like lately I've been mourning losing the super easygoing, sweet baby/toddler that would let anyone hold her and made fast friends with anyone she met. Now she gives people stink eyes and harsh no's. I really believe this is just a phase and that sweet girl will come back to me. I still see her from time to time, I know she's still there! Her emotions just take over these days. She is still very expressive and I love it but we're getting to experience a lot of negative expressions right now. Sometimes I feel like this rough patch is partly caused by my attention being so focused on keeping busy, adventurous Flynn from hurting himself or destroying things. She would love for me to just sit and hold her all day. I think her emotional needs are a little greater than my other kids. She craves connection with me and I wish I could give her more. She gives the sweetest hugs and kisses and snuggles. Once her understanding of my love for her grows and Flynn gets a little older this phase will pass. In the mean time I will still try to carve out more time for Xan and me to connect.
Alexandria dropped naps all together before she even turned 2. But she will sleep in until 9am or later most days. It's worked out great, but there are days that she wakes up early and can't make it through the whole day without falling asleep. I realized looking back at pictures for this post that most of the time she falls asleep spontaneously is when she has a costume on. It must be that extra warmth that lulls her to sleep. I love that sleeping Shark and Charizard! <3
Alexandria loves to be part of the sibling crew! She definitely has a different relationship with each sibling. Jane and Xan do sisterly things together but only when Jane asks Alexandria to do them. Like dress up, painting nails and playing house. Alexandria does not choose to play those things on her own, but I think she does it to have that connection with Jane and once they get started she does have fun. She doesn't last as long playing girly things as Jane would like though. Xan and Atlas have the most similar interests as far as toys, games and shows, but have the hardest time playing well together. I think it has to do with their ages at this point and because they like the same things they are always fighting over those things. I hope one day they'll realize they have common ground and they appreciate having someone to talk to about those things instead of seeing it as a competition. Xan and Flynn have the most up and down relationship of all. I think this has everything to do with them being 3 and 1. They enjoy being together. She calls him Flynny Flynn and he likes to give her hugs. But playing together usually ends with Xan hitting Flynn because he stole a toy from her or Flynn pulling Xan's hair because he thinks it's fun. I'm sure they'll grow closer as time moves on like Jane and Atlas have. I love to watch all of their relationships grow!
Weight
Birth: 9lbs 2oz
1 Year: 23lbs 9oz
2 Years: 29lbs
3 Years: 32lbs
Height
Birth: 22 1/4 Inches
1 Year: 30 1/4 Inches
2 Years: 33 3/4 Inches
3 Years: 36 1/4 Inches
Alexandria started out really tall but when she turned two she leveled out and now she might actually be starting to fall on the short side of the percentiles. I'll have to wait for her appointment to know for sure. She's in 3T-4T clothes but some pants are a tiny bit long where everything else fits perfectly. But she's still growing splendidly and superbly healthy.
Alexandria finally got her 4 canine teeth about a month after she turned 2. Her second molars started coming in at the very end of 2020. I think she has three that have popped through and we're still waiting on the last one, it won't be long though! It's the end of her baby teething journey since the next teeth that will come in will be permanent!
Firsts
Yippee! It's time for Firsts!! This past year was a little harder to find firsts since life sort of stopped and we weren't able to enjoy any new experiences for a while. But I was still able to find enough unconventional firsts to fill the year. So I hope you enjoy the transformation of Xan from a 2 year old to a 3 year old as much as I do.
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Confetti Eggs! - April 2020
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| Full ponytail - May 2020 |
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| Jumping at Urban Air - June 2020 |
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| Holding a Roman Candle - July 2020 |
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| Pappaw pool throws - August 2020 |
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| Riding a Tricycle - August 2020 |
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| Climbing the rock wall - September 2020 |
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| Learning to swim! - October 2020 |
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| Open Gym Class - November 2020 |
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| Sparkler on her own - December 2020 |
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| Painting nails with sister - January 2021 |
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| Playing in the snow - February 2021 |
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| Potty Training! - March 2021 |
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| Zoo Trip - April 2021 |
Favorites
Alexandria still loves the outdoors and the trampoline is the first place she will go. Usually she's following Atlas and Jane out the door, but there are times recently that she will even venture out the the backyard on her own to play for a little while. (I know and am watching from inside of course.) If I go outside too the first thing she'll ask is for me to swing her. She can swing herself a little once I get her started. She chooses not to most of the time though. ;) She loves the new playset and running around the backyard with Cambria. Water is still a big favorite as well. She has been asking me to get the little pool out, but it's still been a little too chilly. We did get the sprinkler and slip n slide out. She loved splashing around in the puddles but wasn't brave enough to go down the wet slide yet. She usually errs on the side of caution especially when it comes to slides. She LOVES to swim in Marmee and Pappaw's pool. Last year she even got good enough at swimming to jump off from the sunshelf and turn around and swim back all on her own and she could pull herself out from any part of the pool! Huge pool safety hurdles. I think she's forgotten a lot of it this year but I think it will come back to her quickly. I love that she loves to dance and when we put on some music she asks for rock and roll and the crazy song. (She means Burn it Down by Awolnation) She's got some pretty great dance moves and good rhythm!
Sometime during the last year Xan's favorite sippy cup broke and I didn't get her a new one because it was time for her to move on. Well she stopped drinking milk pretty much all together then. It used to be her main source of food! She's picky sometimes but not terrible. She's just more of snacker. Usually I have to leave her food on the table and she will come back and eat it later when she starts asking for a snack. Some of her favorites are fruit snacks, yogurt, bananas, blueberries, grapes, mac and cheese, popsicles, candy, juice, cheetos, spaghetti and teddy grahams. Sweet, fruity things continue to be her top favorites. She's always up for a flavored drink as long as it's not carbonated.
Xan has a new favorite toy every week or sometimes every day. She even changes what she's interested in so often that she's hard to buy presents for. She was really into frogs before Christmas so I got her a few frog themed toys, but by Christmas she had moved on. She still likes frogs but it wasn't her favorite anymore. She was insistent that she wanted a bowser stuffy for her birthday and she has really loved it! Bunny is still the favorite bedtime companion though. Other favorites are Lego Mario, Storybots song book, kinetic sand, Baby shark bath toy and Toothless.
Look at that balance! She is very coordinated with her legs. She will watch videos on the Kindle like this often, either that or play a game while in the full splits. Alexandria is more consistent with her favorite movies and shows than she is toys. She is not into anything girly at all! She only watches Frozen because Jane asks her to watch with her. Xan and Atlas are more likely to agree on a show than Jane and Xan. Iron Giant is her favorite movie! Other favorite this year have been The Lorax, Spies in Disguise and Toy Story. She has a bunch of favorite shoes, Zig and Sharko is probably the most consistent favorite though. Others are Shaun the Sheep, Dragons Race to the Edge, Super Mario Show, Storybots, Gigantosaurus, Twirlywoos, Alien TV and Baby Shark space adventure. She definitely has an opinion on what we watch and has to make sure she gets her turn to pick.
Last year Xan was just starting to like books without an extra element to them, this year she has fallen completely in love books! The favorite she goes back to again and again is the reusable sticker book All Better. She loves putting the bandages on the animal's owies. Otherwise she likes to read just about anything! Other books I can think of her going back to are Gallop: Scanimation book, You Choose, and I'm a hungry dinosaur. She prefers any books with dragons, dinosaurs, crocodiles or other reptiles.
Swimming has yet to be dethroned as Xan's favorite activity. She is really enjoying swimming around the whole pool with her floaties, but we always try to squeeze in a swimming lesson at the end after we take off her floaties so she remembers she needs help to swim still. I have a feeling she's going to be a great swimmer by the end of the summer. Jumping on the Trampoline and swinging come in second and third. Dancing is coming in strong though! It might break into the top three one of these days.
Finally we've been able to go places again! She LOVED her first trip to the zoo. I'd say that's probably number 1 now. Although she was little disappointed she didn't get to see any live dinosaurs there. ;) The MoCo Fair is probably #2. She had so much fun riding rides and seeing the animals. She thoroughly enjoyed Urban Air when we went last year. We'll have to try to go again soon now that you don't have to wear a mask while jumping, that was way too exhausting! ;) Unfortunately Xan never got to go to Pump it up or Jumpalooza because they were closed down. But I think a new one opened up that we're planning to try for Jane's birthday. I'm pretty sure she's gonna think it's awesome. Of course her constant favorite places are Marmee and Pappaw's house, the beach, the Park and Alpha Omega Open Gym. One day I'll finally get to take her back to the library now that she's found her love of books!
Xan is still pure joy! She's easygoing at heart but very emotional, so days can feel like a rollercoaster ride. She'll be jumping and squealing with happiness one moment and then crying on the ground in despair the next. She still tries her best to make everyone happy, but she does stick up for herself as well! When she's trying to be tough it doesn't matter how upset I feel with her, she'll act mad right back at me, but I know it's just a shield because when she lets it down she shows me just how sad my displeasure makes her feel. She has a big heart for animals and pretty much all living things. She says she wants to be a zookeeper when she grows up. With how she processes emotions and her love for animals she reminds me a lot of myself as a child. I wonder if it will continue to be that way. Hopefully I can help her process those big emotions in a healthy way since I know what she's going through. I don't know what it's like to be a 3rd born and not the youngest though. At any rate, watching her grow up and experience life is soooo much fun!
Happy Birthday Baby girl! We love you so much!
James 1:2-3
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
