12 February 2013

Dearest Ollie

A random love note at 27 months.



You are my littlest. You are happy and full of light. You have the brightest smile and bubbliest sense of humor I've seen. You balance out your big brother and sister quite nicely. You are sweet like Buby and adventurous like Bleu. You are pensive like Buby and impulsive like Bleu. You read books like Buby and ride wild animals like Bleu. You are naturally empathetic like Buby and positively stubborn like Bleu. You are curious like Buby and a creature of habit like Bleu. You enjoy winter like Buby and summer like Bleu. You clean up like Buby and make messes like Bleu. You share these wonderful qualities with others and yet you are YOU. There's nobody else like you.


Every single day your daddy and I wonder how we got so lucky. So blessed in this life. It's funny because we had a strong suspicion our family wasn't complete yet. When I announced we were pregnant for the third time your Daddy burst out laughing. I will never forget that. We knew you were a boy from the start and named you Oliver 10 months before you were born.


You were my full-force-ahead pregnancy and my most pleasurable birth experience. (Which amuses me because Buby was my steady and sensitive birth and Bleu my fastest and most painful.) I cradled you, carried you, and wore you on my person for the entire first two years. You nursed for 21 months and during that time soaked up every bit of life and adventure in this old house of ours. You quickly became an expert on us. You quickly learned our strengths and weaknesses and found your place.
 

At 27 months you are carrying on funny little conversations and (lately) getting your point across quite well without frustration. Sometimes your answer is simply "I donno" and we all crack up. You use your hands a lot when speaking... a trait you inherited from your Daddy. You are like him in so many ways. You have his hair and his cleft chin and his innate wisdom, I think.


You have been officially potty training the last two weeks. You've taken the lead, and I'm staying close by to assist. I love how you clap for yourself after every drop and don't require stickers or other forms of reward. That said, you do enjoy a good rendition of Patty Cake while on the toilet. You pretend to eat people... complete with sound effects. Chomp chomp.


Ollie, you love to dance. Tchaikovsky. Adele. Patti Page. U2. Johnny Cash. Bob Marley. You can jam to any of it. You walk up to others and invite them to "dance me" and they are no better at refusing you than I. You are an animal lover as well. All types. You took it pretty hard when our dog Jazzy died shortly before your second birthday. Oh how you adored her. I've been tempted to run out and adopt another -- for you -- but we're not ready yet. Honestly, it might be a few years. Buby and Bleu aren't as animal-happy as you.


Other passions include sports and motorcycles. And by sports I mean baseball, basketball, soccer, football, swimming and golf. You haven't met a sport you didn't like, and Daddy will attempt to add fishing to the list this spring. Your athleticism and drive kind of astound us, so we're pretty sure you'll gravitate to some sport later on. And by motorcycles I mean you'd like to climb on one of Daddy's Harleys right now and drive off. When you're a wee bit older, Buddy, there's a custom three-wheeler with your name (and many hours of Daddy's sweat) on it. 


If you had a favorite thing to watch it would be Curious George. Definitely. Both your grandmas hooked you up with DVDs this year. Your favorite colors are blue and orange. Foods are cooked carrots, steamed broccoli, olives, hummus, yogurt, sharp cheddar, homemade guacamole, crushed nuts, bread. You loooove yourself a tall glass of milk, too. "Miwk, pwease."


Although you were born with a defective thyroid, you would never know it. It hasn't slowed you down one bit. You get your blood tests and take your medicine because you don't know any different. Stephanie in the blood lab has been your GIRLfriend since you were two months old. If you had a backup (a second in line, so to speak) it'd be Miss Cathy from our gym class on Thursdays. She's in her 50s. Boy are you sweet on her... and she on you. Three months ago you were too shy to participate with the rest of the group, and now you enter with your head high running full speed toward HER. 


When you are 100% in your comfort zone you play rough with no fear of injury. If you see something cool, you GO for it. If an opportunity exits to run, jump, climb or tumble... you TAKE it. If ever an innocent bystander is sacrificed in the process, you somehow know to apologize every time. "I sorry." Then you plant your lips on mine, Buby's or Bleu's and seal the deal.


At home you still choose me to put you down to bed, but that's only because it's our routine. And because I'm the softie who hides under the quilt with you and holds your hand until you fall asleep. You don't like to leave Daddy out of any daytime conversation though. You are like his voice when he's at work in the city. When I whisper "Guess what? ... I love you." in your ear you firmly reply "And Daddy, too!" Every single time. Yes, Ollie, I love your Daddy and your Daddy loves you. You look up to Buby but gravitate toward Bleu. You two share a special tightness right now, or maybe it's just that you're closer in age. Buby sure does make an effort though. I feel horrible for him when he asks you for a hug or a kiss and you say "no" and give one to your sister instead. Please don't break his heart.


My dearest Ollie, these are the things that come to mind when I think of you at this very moment. I'm trying to enjoy the moment we're in before it passes.



 

1 comment:

Grandma DJ said...

That's Ollie!! Love you forever Cutie!!