The Ollie & Indie Blog: Happy 3rd Birthday, Ollie!

Ollie had two 3rd birthday parties this year...one with Uncle Scott & Jenny and one on his "actual" birthday. Even though he has now been three for nearly five months, I still can't believe we already have a three year old! He is such a beautiful, life-filled boy--inquisitive, spirited, loving, and ridiculously hilarious. He loves stories, loves people, loves construction trucks and legos, loves playing chef and cleaning the house with his little vacuum and broom. He adores playing on the beach and has an amazing imagination. Everything can be turned into a game with him whether he is pretending to be a bird, a fire fighter, a doctor, or a daddy (or mama sometimes). He loves inventing things, and nearly every invention ends with 3000. For example, "The Sucker-Upper 3000" or "The Blower-Upper Leg Lifter 3000," two of his most recent inventions, the second of which is a foot pedal pump that he uses to pump up a balloon placed under a person's leg in order to lift the leg off the ground! He (mostly) adores his little brother, although there are still moments when he asks us to take him back to the doctor or put him back in my tummy or sell him to a store. He likes to toss toys into Indie's crib for him and can make Indie giggle like no one else when he plays peek-a-boo. Ollie also likes to pretend to be a baby and will ask to be held like a baby or carried places he can easily walk. He makes up "baby talk" and pretends to suck on a soothie (pacifier). On the flip side, he also enjoys taking care of his baby doll, Celia (Indie has become a bit possessive of Celia, so there's often a love triangle between the three of them). Ollie will carry her in a baby carrier and even pretend to nurse her. He is so very loving. He is getting better and better at riding his tricycle and likes to play floor hockey and catch with any ball he can get his hands on. He's not afraid of people and loves playing with other children on the playground and asking neighbors what they are working on in their yards as we walk by. He is brave but is easily frightened by television shows, covering his eyes when he doesn't want to see something. (He recently told me that the bamboo sushi roll mat, when held in front of his face, was a tool that "helps me not see something when I don't want to see it.") When he gets hurt, he asks for "placebo" (apple juice in a baby syringe) and often suggests that a sweetie might also help him feel better.

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At a get-together recently, he became playmates with a little girl who had just begun toddling around. After playing for a while, he hugged her and said, "I used to be your age." We love you, Ollie!