Bailey is such a lover. He is tender-hearted and kind to those around him. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is constantly telling people that he loves them. From our family members, to his and Ainsley's friends, to the doctor, to the mailman, etc. The boy is just a lover and isn't afraid to share it! He is especially sweet and tender-hearted when it comes to his sisters. Ainsley and him are the best buddies 90%+ of the time. They can typically be found playing elaborate kitty games, games with bad guys, mermaids/sea kitties, etc. And because he adores her so much, he is especially sensitive to her opinion of him, what he's doing, his work, etc. Ainsley is mostly loving and kind but she can get bossy and be hot/cold at times which is difficult for Bailey to understand. Still, he is a devoted little brother and will usually be by her side as soon as she comes back around. That said, little by little, I see him standing up for himself more in their relationship (which is good) and I bet there will be a day in the somewhat near future where he won't take her flack as easily anymore. But as for now, he still sweetly allows her to pick out "more girly" shows to watch or games to play without much push back. (Hence the nail salon picture below. The second picture is of Ainsley comforting Bailey during a particularly scary part in a movie.)
Bailey and Caroline's relationship on the otherhand in pure gold. I'll be honest, I didn't expect them to bond quite the way that they have, I guess because there is more of a gap between them then Ainsley and Bailey or because they are boy/girl... but they just have a really special relationship. While Ainsley can be dominating and overly mothering to Caroline, Bailey treats her more like an equal that just needs a little more patience. Bailey is generously forgiving when Caroline breaks his train set or tower creations or when she pulls his hair or hits him. Caroline, on the otherhand, is acutely cued into when Bailey is upset. When he is upset or hurt, she rushes over with a sad face to rub his arm or back and gives him a hug. It is really the sweetest thing. Even if there isn't anything wrong, they can often be caught in spontaneous hugs and snuggles. In fact, Bailey is the one that first stated calling her 'Caroliney' and now the whole family does. They are just little buddies!
As much as Bailey is a lover, he can also have a bit of a temper. I don't think this is out of the realm of normal for a kiddo his age, but when he gets angry or frustrated he has been know to yell, throw things, and/or destroy what he has been working hard on. He is also so sweetly remorseful and usually bursts into tears after these episodes. We have been working on reminding him to use his self-control and his words when he feels mad or frustrated... but he has some work to do (as do we all some days). Thankfully, he saves this behavior for when he is at home for mine and George's enjoyment only. ;)
As well as Bailey plays with his sisters, he also plays great by himself. He dropped his nap about mid-way through his third year (he napped more than a year longer than Ainlsey and would have kept it longer but it made bedtime such a challenge so we decided to painfully get rid of it. It was a rough process at times but we are finally at the light at the end of the tunnel). And now has about 2 hours in his room in "quiet time" in the afternoon while Caroline naps and while I catch a break! During this time, he loves to build towers with his blocks or space ships with his magnitiles. He loves playing with his trains although has yet to develop an enjoyment of actually setting up the train tracks... usually he asks Ainsley or I do make them for him. Super heroes are his favorite thing but I don't really think he spends much time playing with any of his super hero playsets. Instead he spends a decent amount of time arranging hide-outs and little station that he then imagines and plays in. These setups never look very elaborate to an outsider and rather look just like big messes but he is very intent on where he has placed everything. (see pic below of one of these creations) Lately he has been having fun hauling particular toys up to the top bunk in his room and arranging his little hide-outs up there. He also worked pretty hard recently to gather several arts and craft materials to set up what he calls his "work." He set up everything on and around his little blue table and he will spend a decent amount of time busy at his "work."
In describing who Bailey is as a 4 year old boy, I would be remiss if I didn't mention how it seems that he is magnetically attracted to mud, dirt, and messes in a way that I didn't know was possible. There is a quote that says something like, "the definition of boys is noise with dirt on it," and thinking about how spot on that is just makes me laugh. Bailey always wants to be getting muddy and dirty. And he has an ability to find dirt in way that other kids don't. For instance, at his class Easter party held at a park, he spent the entire play time digging and playing in the rocks and was filthy afterwards! Not one of the 12 other boys or girls left dirty at all but my sweet one left with almost black hands and face, streaks of dirt on his shirt, a brown bottom, and a giant smile! He is typically obedient about it and if I ask him not to get dirty then he usually tries not to but still most days after he is asleep I am spraying and scrubbing the fronts of his shirts and the back of his shorts to try to get out all the stains!
Bailey enjoys school... he is slow to wake up in the morning and does so sometimes very grumpily, so somedays it is difficult to get him moving and out the door... but once he steps out of the car at school, he is all sunshine and rainbows and is excited to be there. He had the sweetest, most wonderful, loving teacher this past year who he adored and who adored him. She described him as "soft-hearted and creative," which I think is spot on. She also made several comments about how smart and well behaved he is. He does tend to be a bit of a perfectionist and at times doesn't want to attempt school-related things because he is concerned that he can't do them perfectly. He will say, "I am not an expert at that yet." and for example, won't want to color something if he thinks that he won't be able to stay in the lines. That said, usually with some encouragement, he will try it and often surprise himself at how well he can actually do.
Included in this year of growth, is the big leaps that we have seen in Bailey's speech! Bailey has been in speech therapy twice a week his whole 4th year of life and while it has had some ups and downs - mostly related to us being consistent in getting him there which has been a struggle at times - he has made amazing strides in this area! He is currently about 90% intelligible (most 4 year olds are at 100%) and we will likely drop down to therapy just once a week during the summer or at the beginning of the fall. This process hasn't been easy for him and I'm unbelievably proud of how far he has come. Not only can he speak clear enough for the average person to understand most of what he is saying, but he also initiates conversation and tells long stories, both true and make-believe. It has been such a joy to see more of his personality come to life now that it isn't such a struggle for him to communicate. More and more we have seen that he is a jokester and likes to say funny things or make jokes or tell stories about things that he thought were funny. It really is the best and I'm so thankful for the help and guidance that he has been given and all the progress he has made.
It is not unusual to hear Bailey say any of the following:
- "I want to go pee pee outside on my pee pee tree." (yes he has a designated pee pee tree in the backyard. Don't judge.)
- "I so sorry I make a bad choice. I not want to make a bad choice anymore. I so sorry, mommy.
- One day I caught him standing my the toilet with his pants around his ankles and a huge smile on his face. He points into the potty and then says clasping his hands together in admiration and pride, "Look! I made a poo poo family! Big Daddy poo poo, mommy poo poo, and little tiny baby poo poo!"
- "Mommy, when you call 'Bailey, Bailey, I need your help!' then I will come right away and save you."
- Prayer at dinner... "Thank you God for choo-choo trains and superman and I love you God. Thank you for Jesus loves me this I know. Amen."
- "Silly me!" (he usually says it with a little laugh whenever he makes a mistake)
- "I'm the worker/door/fixer/shrimp/doctor/cooker/whatever the current game is man. You call me the worker/door/fixer/shrimp/doctor/cooker/whatever the current game man." (and then he will only answer to that name. He gets very serious about it. See pic below where he is the worker man.)
On the health and development note, this has also been a really great year for Bailey especially compared to last year. We are so thankful to report that there isn't anything to report in this area! Yay! Just typical childhood fevers and minor illnesses non lasting more than a week or so and non reoccurring!
So, in a nutshell, Bailey is just our tender-hearted, loving, sweet, and silly boy! We love him to pieces and wouldn't want him any other way!
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