Happy 3rd Birthday Elem Zane

I have been trying to make this post forever!!! Little did I know that working full time at the shelter, my first semester of Nursing School, taking A&PII at National Parks, and trying to maintain/ be part of my little family would be such hard work. So yes, I finally said it on my blog, which means it is official-I just started Nursing School on May 13th-and as you can tell my blogging time has seriously dropped as a result. Guess that means at least you know I am studying. :) I will keep you all updated on that later. For now-It is all about the Birthday Boy!

Elem Zane Shelby is 3 years old!



A few things I want to remember about this time in Elem's life-

-Elem is 46 inches tall and 37 pounds! Yikes is right! And I tend to carry him around all over the place, so lets just say I have some nice biceps. Is in above the 99% in height for his age range and wears a size 10 shoe, and the 3T clothes are hopefully going to make it through the summer before they get too small on him!



-He is silly! So so so silly. Elem is always telling silly little jokes, or trying to make you laugh. He talks in funny voices-sometimes high and sometimes way low. He likes to laugh out loud and he likes to hear and see other people laughing when he thinks he is being funny. He shakes his head when he is talking to make his topics of conversation goofy, and he enjoys knowing that everyone is laughing at him (not AT him, but AT whatever it is he is doing)!

-School-he knows all the main stuff, ABC, Days of the Week, Months of the Year, Songs, He can cut, draw circles, squares, straight lines, enjoys drawing faces and sun shines, but would be happier if he could draw a football field! Knows his shapes and colors, and can write his name, but the letters tend to be in a random order-oh well for now! He knows his right from his left and LOVES to use this when telling people what he wants and where things are.

-Communication-Elem never stops talking. Ever. I hope I made that clear...this boy, never, ever, ever stops talking. And if he does, that is because he is waiting on you to answer his question. The old, who, what, when, where, why? is just the tip of the question roll here in our house. I made a pact with myself when I was pregnant with Elem that I would always talk to him about everything I was doing, and answer any question he ever asked me, with the "right" answer and NEVER with "because I said so". To this day I have not said, BUT, I have come very close. I can honestly say that this approach has lead to one very big vocabulary-which was the goal. But the non stop talking does seem to wear out family and friends at times.

-This is the "sad" or "begging" face. I tried to tteach Elem to lower his head, pout his lips, and blink his eye lashes, when trying to get something he wants from his daddy and this is what it has turned into: hehe.


-Favorite color is blue.

-Still a mommas boy: Yes this little man still falls asleep on the couch with his mommy every single night. I know I know, but this is the hardest thing for me to part with. It is way more for me than Elem I believe, but I have to admit, cuddling up with Elem with his blankey and cup are just so sweet, even if it is way beyond his bedtime. He is almost to the point where we both dont fit on the couch together, so I am taking what I can get before my little toddler/preschooler turns into a gigantic huge boy! I still carry him around every chance I get, but those days are numbered since he is pushing 40 lbs.


-Loves the great outdoors: Elem loves to be outside, play in the dirt, on the swings, on the slides, in the pool, mow the grass, do the weed eater, pick up worms, shovel, ride bikes,ride his jeep, etc. ! I could go on and on. He is much like Seth and I, and just wants to be outside if at all possible-but he is much like me as well in that we do not like the flying insects. haha. Thats my boy! He is so active and would play outside till literally the minute I laid him down for bed if I let him. He has no sense of time at night right now because the sun is up so late, so outside time in his mind is more so associated with "the sun is up"-in his exact words, so that means we should be able to play outside!


Friends: need I say more? Here is his BFF-Cecilia Rebecca Kate. They have been BFF since he was one day old and since she was 3 months old, so I dont think we are going to have any luck ever trying to pull these 2 apart. They are so silly and goofy when they are together, and for the most part, they love being together, playing, and just running around. They are however complete opposites, and Elem tends to run the show. Most of the time in a good way, but in many cases, he is the one ordering her around, and calling all the shots. For some reason Cecilia listens to Elem like he is an adult, and I still havent quite figured that one out yet!


-He is LOUD: I mean loud beyond all imaginations! Loud around the house, loud when he talks, loud when he plays, loud when he is in the bathtub, just plain old loud. I know I have mentioned this before, but per my mom, so was I so this is major payback for how loud I used to be when I was a kid! Elem just has one of those voices that carries. He has this amazingly cute raspy voice that you just want to eat up when you hear it, and it just seems to get louder and louder as he goes. He tells stories loud and really gets loud when he is trying to win at a conversation or get his way.


-My picky little eater. He is me-we eat the same foods. I will say nothing else.

-Elem loves to listen to music and dance-his top favorite songs/artists include the Black Eyed Peas and Justin Beiber. hahaha. This is so cute I love it! I had no idea Radio Disney would play such a prominent role in my life just yet, but oh well! He likes it so I can't complain. We find Elem dancing to songs and singing random songs all the time. Sometimes he might be in the back bedroom with the guitar out, naked, and singing an entire chorus to a song he made up-they are soooo cute! Or you might see him watching a commercial and then breaking down in some funky breakdance move he just learned. It is hilarious, and adorable all at the same time!

-he loves his daddy. And even more so he looks just like his daddy. I am finally at the point in my life where I realize that my little boy and my husband are and will always be identical twins. No it is not fair, and no I dont get any credit for "making" him inside my womb or anything, but I do think it is freakishly adorable to see them together and looking this sweet. Elem loves his daddy so much and thinks the world of him. Even though we put daddy on the little side of the couch each night, Elem loves to help daddy in the yard and loves to go with Seth to his work to crank up the "big trucks". It is so cute how much he looks up to seth!

Elem Zane, I can not believe you are 3 years old. Every day I think, how in the world has time flown by so fast??? I am so proud to be your mommy, and look forward to every single day ahead! You are one special little boy and have a smile that melts my heart every time you flash that beautiful little grin my way. Your raspy voice and sweet little...please and thank yous" do not go unnoticed, and I love you more and more every single day.