I asked him questions about what he wants for his birthday, here are the answers:
Pancakes
Brown cake
Lemonade
Sing "Hark the Herald Angels"
A Day in the Life of Judah:
As it turns out, Judah loves to narrate his day and will often tell me about his routine: "And then we . . . . ". I think this means he likes the flow. Judah loves a slowwww wake up - time in his room, just rolling around and dozing (we can watch him via video monitor. If we go in too early and interrupt his alone time, uff da). He asks right away, thumb in his mouth, sleep sack on, pootsie in hand: "What are we doing today, Momma?". I tell him, he jumps on his bed and then hops over to me to get dressed (which he can almost do by himself but I do anyway). He hops downstairs and sees what's on the table for breakfast, grazing and playing until we need to leave. Each morning has its own flow - Mondays with Karis (usually playing with friends), Tuesdays random play dates & library runs & sometimes Chick Fil A play. Wednesdays & Thursdays church play group and then work, Friday fun day. Most days we're home by noon, where Judah eats in my lap while I read to him (fave for us both). The nap timer goes off, he grabs a toy and beats me to his room and when I meet him there pretends I scared him and dissolves into giggles. He plays, rests, sometimes sleeps for a while, gets up and we hit the road to pick up Karis. He loves when I read books to him in the pick up line, and he's happy when Karis joins us for the rest of the day . . . usually home to play and rest before a short show, dinner . . . daddy takes him upstairs for "potty/jammies/teeth/Calvin & Hobbes/Bible/pray/bed". We take turns putting each kid to bed, when it's me we read a book, pray, sing Jesus Loves Me, he gives at least four rounds of "Hug! Kiss! One more!" and I say "sleep tight" and he says, "I will!". Or sometimes he beats me to it, "I'll sleep tight!"
Who Judah says his friends are:
Leah, Micah, Mitchell, Teddy
Favorite Color:
Deep black
Favorite Books:
Anything Dr. Seuss (Hand Hand Fingers Thumb especially)
Toy Boat
Three Little Pigs
Alfie Weather
Darth Vader and His Son (cartoon-ish - Luke is 4 in this book!)
Yeti Spaghetti
Favorite Activities:
Rolling tractors around the ground, making roads for them
Playing in the snow, taking all his vehicles out on a parade, sledding, eating snow
Reading in my lap
Washing all his trucks in the bathroom
Playing with friends
Scented markers
Sneaking into Karis's room and messing up her stuff (and putting on her lip gloss)
Kinetic sand
Anything Karis is doing (hero worship, so adorbes)
Making cozy places
Putting dominos into socks as "presents" for others
Favorite Clothes:
Crocodile shirt
Overalls
Superhero socks
Favorite Foods:
Banana pancakes
Cheesy beans and peas with curry (or curry and cheese melted on anything)
Peanut butter grilled sandwiches
Raisins
Dipping anything in mustard (even almonds)
Cheesy dates
Big donuts, cake, pop rocks, m&ms
Favorite Question:
"WHY???". To everything, all day long!
Favorite Shows:
Sid the Science Kid, Goldie & Bear, Busy Town
Well Visit Stats:
I'm always grateful for positive well check appointments, I really loved watching Judah this time - answering questions and engaging and pretty much wowing them with his agreeableness and sweet heart. So grateful for health. And just for fun, he's 3' 5" and 36.8lbs.
You are a Precious Child of God and He has a Good Plan for Your Life
I'm his mom, so of course I'm going to say this guy is just so special. So full of love and life. He's coming into his own with humor and dancing and engaging and thoughtful. If Karis is hurting he is so concerned. If a character in a book looks angry he asks, "Is he rude?". He is sensitive and sweet - and can be plenty spicy too - red in the face mad if you get in his business when he doesn't want you there. He adores people and also knows when he needs his space and loves to be alone to recharge. He either wants to do everything on his own or have everything done for him. He pushes buttons and also badly wants to do what's right. He imagines and chats out loud with his toys and invents his own little games every day.
. . . This guy is so cuddly and spilling over with affection. Many times a day now he'll run up to me saying, "Huggie! Kissie!". Or, "I love you mom. I missed you mom" (if I'm ever away and come back). If I sit down on a chair, he's sure to crawl into my lap and burrow in to suck his thumb and find some rest. He goes with the flow and is mostly agreeable and happy to be exactly wherever he is. He is sincere & tender, silly & solemn.
What Karis wants to say about Judah:
This girl loves her brother. The following written by her on the computer:
judah is fun and loving and kind .
Oh Judah:
- "Is it still my birthday, momma?"
- "It's my birthday, then it'll be Karisee's birthday in 12 days!"
- "But I just can't MOVE" (while groaning and standing in place waiting for one of us to come to him). Oh the games.
- "I have lots of love but I can't get it out because it's way deep in. It's deep deep inside me" (in reply to Trev asking Judah to give Gpa Jim lots of love)
- "I need alone time"
- "Mom, Simon says took my special toy" (he called his friend Simon 'Simon says' on a recent play date)
- "Oh, it's okay momma. It was just a little accident. It's okay"
- "Is this steak? I love steak!"
- "Hey mommy, I listened!"
- "I do want to go to school, I promise I won't cry!"
- "Well, DADDY knows!" (when I said "I don't know" while reading a bedtime book)
- "Luke I am your father - do you have to go potty?"
- "I made 5 play dough snails and they're all going to the bathroom"
- "I like to wrap my arms around people's shoulders and give them hugs"
Memorable moment from Judah, in December:
Recent chats with Judah end with him telling me what he's going to do, but "not youuuuuu, mom". Driving to a friend's house he saw a pond frozen over and here's what followed:
J - Mom! The pond is frozen! Me and daddy and Karis can go skating on it! But not youuuuu, mom
Me - Oh, well, what am I going to do?
J - You can do the dishes . . . and when we get back we'll have dinner.
!!!!!!!!!
The Celebrations
We started with super snowed in pancakes on paper Thomas plates, Thomas cup, Thomas balloon. Watched Finding Dory, all meat lunch, opened gifts.
He helped make a sprinkle angel food cake one day on the prairie, and family gathered to dine and sing. I loved watching him eat his cake just like a puppy, face all in.
For the first time, he caught on that one often receives more than one gift: "Where's my other present?" Yes, he's growing up.
His actual birth DAY we were driving back to Plymouth and he was in charge. I surprised the kids by getting little beanie babies in Steele (where we stop for Caribou and they always play with the beanies while we wait). He chose qdoba for lunch in Fargo, Sid the Science kid for video time when we got home, Burger King for dinner (um, big sister whispered in his ear what she was hopeful for - I totally get that, I STILL do that. Oh my girl, it's hard that little brother has a voice now!).
A couple days later we did the Crayola Experience and met fam at Shake Shack for dinner (highlight for b-day boy was the "HUGE gummy worm I had at the Mall of America!"). This covered New Year's/B-day, pretty efficient we are . . .
Happy birthday, dear son. We're grateful for your life and amazed to watch you live into the fullness of who you are.
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