Happy 3rd Birthday, Adit!!!

Adit turned 3 years old last Sunday. He is very happy to be a big boy now and so are we.

• Earlier this year, we were a little worried with Adit stuttering but, it turned out to be a normal step in growing up. His brain always runs a mile ahead of his tongue and he used to get stuck on his words. His brain is still keeping that lead but, his tongue doesn't get tangled up anymore. Because of his sister's influence, his vocabulary is growing at an amazing rate and we often find ourselves with raised eyebrows at words that he uses.

• Adit always has been a good eater and his love for food continues. V asked him: "What special thing do you want to do for your birthday?" and Adit's answer was, "I want to eat." He truly enjoys eating food and nothing can distract him when there is food on the plate in front of him. At each mealtime, he is finished with his plate as Ashwini crawls through about 25% of hers. Pasta still ranks as the most favorite food above everything else. He has been eating a lot more veggies than before. He also likes to eat spicy food. After finishing his dinner, he always wants to eat out of our plates and try new things. His favorite cookies are oreos and favorite fruit is banana.

• Reading books is not at the top of the list of favorite things but, Adit does like to read books. Just like Ashwini at his age, he has memorized many books and says the words looking at pictures on the page. Lately, he wants to read many of Dr. Seuss books.

• Other than the usual boy things such as running around, banging toys and throwing balls, solving jigsaw puzzles is his most favorite activity. He can put together upto 48 piece puzzles. It is very interesting to watch him hum some songs while focusing on solving these puzzles. I hope this will continue as he grows up.

• The biggest achievement for Adit over the last month or so is potty-training. Watching Ashwini at home and other kids in the daycare was a big factor in getting him to want to use the potty. We didn't try the child potty for him, he just uses the big one. We still have to remind him to go to the potty but, he is getting the hang of it and we haven't been blessed with a poopy diaper in a few weeks. The toilet paper usage around the house has grown exponentially. I am glad that I have been buying Procter and Gamble stock as a hedge against this increased expense.

• It took Adit almost 2 months to get used to his new daycare after moving there in September. But now, he is ready to take on the day as soon as he gets into the classroom. No more tears! Many a times, he doesn't even have time to say "bye bye" to us. He gets busy with other kids and/or some ongoing activities with teachers.

• Adit still likes to watch Dora, Diego, and the Backyardigans along with his old favorite Thomas the tank engine on TV. Just like his sister, he is still sheltered from Hollywood and Bollywood. He listens to some songs in the car during commute and has memorized words for many of them without understanding a word. Here is one example.
Some kids at his daycare learned about Batman from their older siblings and Adit got it from them. He likes Batman without knowing anything about him or having watched him on TV. V got him this costume for Christmas. We'll probably use it for next Halloween.

Overall, Adit has had a great year and he is growing up very nicely. We want him to grow up and take on responsibilities such as changing his own clothes, brushing his teeth, putting away toys etc. But, at the same time, we don’t want him to grow up and lose his innocence. I am sure this is a dilemma that every parent faces. Unfortunately, there is no easy choice.