Dear Liam,
You turned 3 a few days ago! Happy 3rd birthday! I
cannot believe you are three! When I
look back on the last three years it feels like a whirlwind of love and
awe. At times it seems that I can barely
remember life before you, which is okay because that life feels very
insignificant to me. You certainly gave
my life greater meaning and a greater purpose.
Two was quite a year for you as you grew into your own
little person. You are now talking in
full sentences and saying the funniest things.
I just love that you now tell me stories and can respond when I ask you
about your day.
You transitioned to a toddler bed when you were around 2 and
1/2 years old. Your dad and I were
worried, but the transition went fairly smoothly. Although we did have to put a special handle
on your door to lock you in your room so you will stay in there at
bedtime! We have a sweet little bedtime
ritual, and it's one of my favorite times of the day. After you get in your jammies and brush your
teeth, we read a few books and then you and me, or you and your daddy, or
sometimes all three of us snuggle and sing songs. We always sing the same special songs, Bid You Goodnight, Linger, You Are My
Sunshine, and Down To the River to
Pray. I just love that you still
like to snuggle and rest your head on my shoulder at bedtime. I love the way your soft curls feel against
my cheek and your little arms wrapped around me. I treasure those moments because I know they
will not last forever.
You still have your binky but only when it's time to sleep. Somewhere along the way, last fall, you
started needing two binkies to go to sleep!
You suck on one and then use the other to rub your cheek. Now that you are three, someday soon the
binky fairy will come visit you to take the binkies away.
You still go to Leenie's two days a week. You love to go there and see your
friends. Annie is your best friend but
you also like Skyler and Charlie. It's
so fun to see how much you enjoy being around other children. You also love your friend Cecelia. The two of you have so much fun when we go
and see music. You had a blast together
at the Romp Bluegrass Festival.
You are really into superheroes these days. Spiderman is your favorite, but you also
really like Iron Man and the Hulk. You
are kind of fascinated by the Hulk but aren't quite sure about him because he
looks scary! You have a superhero Look
and Find book that you have spent hours studying. You really enjoy looking at all of those
pictures. You have recently started
doing imaginative play, and you can sometimes be heard talking to Spiderman and
the Hulk, which is pretty funny. You
also like the Star Wars characters and love to play with your Darth Tater. When we go to the library, you always look
for the Star Wars books.
You enjoy doing art projects and love to paint. You usually start out using paint brushes but
then end up finger painting. I think you
just like making a mess! You still really enjoy playing music too. In fact, you love it when your daddy plays
guitar with you.
You really enjoy doing puzzles and get great satisfaction
when you figure one out all by yourself. You are obsessed with trucks of all
kinds and anytime we drive by a construction site, you name all of the trucks
that you see. You got to drive an
excavator with daddy in May when we were fixing the sewer line and you thought
that was the coolest thing ever!
You love to be outside.
In fact, I try to get you outside every day because you have so much
energy. On days when I don't work, we
often go hiking. You are a pretty good
little hiker and love to explore. One of
your favorite things is to throw rocks in the creek. You could spend hours throwing those rocks! You also really enjoy the park and love to
climb and swing. In fact, you are
fearless when it comes to playground equipment and when we are at home we have
to tell you not to climb on the furniture so you resort to climbing on mommy
and daddy instead.
We went swimming a lot this summer. You are a good little swimmer, especially
with your puddle jumpers. You love it so
much that every time we leave the pool, you cry and ask to go back.
One of my favorite things to do is to watch you and your
daddy play. You just love your daddy and
watching the two of you is the sweetest thing.
When your dad gets home from work, you yell his name and go running to
him. You can often be heard asking him
"Daddy, you want to play with me?"
He is definitely your buddy and you want to be just like him. If he's doing a project around the house, you
are right next to him, mimicking his every move. You love your tools because they are just
like daddy's!
On your birthday, we had a special day with just our little
family. Your dad and I took you to the
children's garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden for the morning. You love it there! We also ate ice cream cake and you opened
your presents. You got a big boy bow and
arrow set, so your daddy taught you how to shoot it. That evening, we ate pizza and then went to
see some music at a park with our friends.
Whenever we get in the car, I always turn and look at you
and tell you that you are my buddy. In
response, you say, "Mommy, you're my girl!" The way you say it warms my heart and gives
me the biggest smile.
You have started to test us some, and every so often you
throw a little tantrum. When you are mad
or upset you stick out your lower lip and get the most pathetic look on your
face. It's heartbreaking but also super
cute at the same time.
You really like Dylan, and like to snuggle up to him on the
floor. He's an old dog, but he's very
patient with you and enjoys your affection.
This is definitely a magical stage that we are in. I love watching you and listening to you
talk. You are such a sweet little person. You have the sweetest smile, and I
just love it when you break into a little grin.
You definitely light up my world in so many miraculous
ways. I am so blessed that I get to be
your mommy.
Happy birthday Liam!
I can't wait to see what kind of magic 3 brings!
