Pier Pier

When Peter and I decided to name our second son Pierson we thought of all the ways one might shorten his name. Nowhere on our list of possibilities was Pier Pier, however, this is the name that has affectionately stuck. It's funny to me that my "all boy" wonder would have such a wussy nick name. This boy who recently said "Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about" as we passed a parking lot full of Four Wheelers in town. The same boy who can run like the wind, pumping his arms to go faster and faster, and who can name every construction truck out there easily responds to Pier Pier. I have visions of him running down a football field some day and all the cheerleaders shouting "Go Pier Pier" and I laugh at how ironic it all is. And then I laugh at the thought of one my children playing football because you know I'd never allow it..they could get hurt! :) Of course I am kidding, sort of.

So my little Pier Pier turns 3 today. Sometimes I have to remind myself that he is in fact just turning 3..and not 5. I have to remember that just because he can do so much and has such an extensive vocabulary doesn't mean I should expect so much out of him. He has moved on from being a baby but is still in that toddler purgatory of not quite being a "kid" yet. He absolutely refuses to sit on the potty and becomes so disgusted at the mere mention that I'm pretty sure I'll be inventing a size 7 diaper just so he can leave the house. There is no incentive big enough to get him to do it. I have promised him a pony and a trip to Disney but alas... Bottom line: This kid does things when he wants to and not at the suggestion of others. I know when he's ready he'll tell me and hopefully that will be that.

When Peter and I look at photos of Mack right before Pierson was born (Mack was 3 and a couple of months) we agree that Mack seemed so much bigger and older than Pierson does right now. I chalk it up to him being an only child up to that point and getting constant attention from everyone in his life. He was the only child and only grandchild (at least in Michigan) so he had uninterrupted conversations with the adults in his life and uninterrupted play time as well. Pierson has always had to vie for a spot in the lineup and believe me, he made his presence known from day one and has never had a hard time fitting in. It's just that he has had an older brother to contend with and has often been told, "hang on just a second buddy".

In a couple of weeks Mack will start first grade and will be in school all day every day and that will leave 2 1/2 days per week for just me and Pierson. I am really looking forward to this time with him. His first 3 years have absolutely flown by and I'm starting to realize that he'll be in school before I know it and I really want to cherish some alone time with him. He plays so differently than Mack did at this age. He entertains himself beautifully and keep himself busy for hours. He says some of the goofiest things and has the face expressions to match. He is so stinkin' cute and boy does he know it. He knows this about himself the same way I know that I need chocolate to get thru most days. A couple of weeks ago we were at the beach and a delightful little boy with Downs Syndrome (Will was his name) wondered over to where my boys were playing and started to dig with one of Pierson's shovels. The boys showed him all the goodies in their sand toy bag and before long they were playing together famously. I was talking to Will's mom and watching the interaction between the 3 boys as she told me that Will was very social and knew exactly what people were saying to him and what he was trying to say back but that sometimes his vocabulary couldn't keep up and therefore people had a difficult time understanding him. At that very moment Will said something to Pierson that none of us could understand but Pierson just looked at him and without flinching said "You are? Well I'm cute!".

And that pretty much sums it up. My boy with the wussy nick name who knows he's cute is 3 years old today and I love him 3 times more today than I did the day he was born and 3 times less than I will 3 years from now.