What a year this one has been! So much has happened, and Gerrit has accomplished a lot. We moved from Texas to Arkansas to New Mexico, Gerrit became a big brother, and he grew up so much!
Age: 4 years old on 27 Oct 2018
Weight: 35 lbs
Height: 39.96 inches
Teeth: 20
Clothing Size: 4T
Milestones: weaned from breastfeeding, potty trained during the day, can fully dress and undress himself, moved from crib to twin bed, sleeps through the night regularly, first dentist appointment, beginning to draw actual pictures, upgraded from tricycle to bike with training wheels, increase in imaginative play and making up stories, started preschool
Gerrit started out his fourth year with a bang: less than a month after turning 3, he breastfed for the last time. I’m not sure if he would have done this on his own or if it was because my pregnancy with his little brother dried up my milk supply. Just a week or two after that (early December), he potty trained himself too! I had chosen not to push the matter of potty training after receiving advice from my boy mom friends. I’m so glad I listened to them, because I saved myself a lot of stress by just waiting until Gerrit decided he was ready. Then he figured it out by himself within a few days. He even did great in underwear on our road trip from Texas to Kansas just a couple of days after Christmas. I was so impressed!
Andrew built Gerrit a twin bed frame after he finished pilot training and while we were waiting to go to Arkansas for C130 training. Gerrit switched from his crib to the twin bed in early March with minimal issues. The first few nights we had some frequent night wake ups, but he got used to it just in time for us to move (and have to sleep in more twin beds).
I’m not quite sure when I realized Gerrit could completely undress and dress himself independently this past year. He can also sometimes do socks, and he’s good at getting sandals and shoes on and off. Now just because he can get things on and off doesn’t mean he will take them on and off himself. He is still very stubborn, and it depends on the day if he wants to be independent or not. Drives me nuts.
Gerrit has never been a big fan of coloring and drawing, but he slowly started to show more interest in them this past year. I think it was this summer into early fall that I noticed he could actually draw things! He can draw people, animals, and shapes. I was pretty impressed! I think this has just improved with projects and worksheets at preschool.
Yes, Gerrit has started preschool! I was looking forward to him starting school while we were in Little Rock, because I felt like I just didn’t have enough time to play with him after Berend was born. But when we got to New Mexico, I started having second thoughts about it. I did end up signing him up for 2 mornings a week at a local Christian preschool, and I’m glad I did. It’s been a great way for Gerrit to get some socialization and time out of the house, plus I get to sneak in a nap and one-on-one time with Berend.
I thought I would start doing a birthday interview from now on to get a snapshot of Gerrit’s life!
What is your favorite color? every single color in the rainbow
What is your favorite food? pizza
What is your favorite TV show? “Rescue Bots”
What is your favorite movie? Moana
What is your favorite thing to do? riding my bike
Where is your favorite place to go? to the park
What is your favorite toy? trains
What is your favorite book? Dr. Seuss books
What is your favorite animal? bear
Who is your best friend? Gram & Gramps
What did you do on your birthday? I had a dino birthday party and bounced in the bouncy house.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A Rescue Bot driver
I’m looking forward to seeing how his answers change year after year!
And now for some photos of Gerrit over the past year:
And here are a few photos from Gerrit’s birthday this year:
What a year it has been, Gerrit! I feel like you’ve become so much more independent and grown up, and I don’t know how I feel about that. So much has changed as you hit so many milestones, yet you’re still definitely YOU. You are my Sour Patch kid (sour then sweet), you are opinionated but love to learn (especially about dinosaurs and outer space), and you are very persistent and strong willed. The things that drive us crazy right now are the things that will serve you well when you’re older, so we do our best to give you as much freedom as we can. I love your questions, stories, and imagination. I love that you still request snuggles on a daily basis and that you want Dada to snuggle you to sleep every night. You are a great big brother, and Berend adores you — I can’t wait to see your relationship grow as he gets more interactive. Gerrit, we love you so much, and we’re so proud of the little boy you are! Happy 4th birthday, buddy!
On An Even Kiel 