The Bug's 3 Year Pics

Looking for the worm I told him was in my lens to get him to look at the camera.

One of my favorites of the fall colors.

I love that little smile.

This boy and his sticks.  He seriously always has one in his hands if we are outside. 

Dad just pulled into the driveway getting home from work.

He's just a little excited to see his dad.

Look at the anticipation of seeing dad get out of the truck.  I love how much he loves his dad.

He's mad I told him to stay on the stairs instead of running to dad.  I'm such a mean mom.  :)

Bestest buddies...EVER!!

Of course I had to get some of Sweet Pea.  She was out there with us, and was such a good girl.  Just happy to be outside checking out stuff.

Smiling at dad behind the binky.

While she may still look a lot like her dad...she got my color eyes...I think she got my eyes. Period.

These two love each other...and love to play together.

I love the next few of him blowing on the dandelion seeds.

Telling me a "knock-knock"joke...notice him knocking.

Probably my favorite picture of him...this is after telling me a "knock-knock" joke.

So here's our Bug...at Three Years Old!  (Well almost...I took these pics the day before his birthday).  I've been taking his birthday pics like this outside our house since his 1st birthday.  I took WAY too many...but then again, how can you take way too many pics of your first Miracle Baby?

The poor kid totally smacked his head at playgroup the day before at the playground.  He was climbing up on a teeter-totter and it had rained so it was wet and slippery and he fell and hit his head.  It wasn't a little goose-egg either.  He seriously smacked his forehead...hence the blue/black bump on his head in all the pics.  He's a little trooper though and didn't cry for very long.

Here's some info on our Bug:

At his 3 year check up he was 35lbs and 37" tall.  This puts him at about 75% for weight and just under 50% for height...so he's still a little brick.  But I swear he's growing every day...and I'm sure he'll be caught up to the rest of the boys his age by next year.  But for now he's still our Shordy.

He may be a little below average in height, but he's well above average in the language/learning area.  He speaks very well and in long old sentences...he's all about communicating everything he's doing.  And...he'll repeat whatever he's saying to you over and over and over again until you repeat it back to him, just to make sure you know what he's talking about.

He knows all his letters.  What sounds they make and what words start with those sounds.  He knows most of his shapes, triangles being his favorite.  He knows all his colors, orange and blue being his favorite.  He counts to 20 and loves to count EVERYTHING.  He's been very much into animals, and loves to play with them.  He still loves sports.  His favorite right now is either baseball (b/c that's what we've been watching all summer) or soccer.  He loves to run in the yard and play soccer with mom or dad.

He loves, loves, loves his baby sister.  He loves to give her hugs and kisses and talk about her "Tiny toes. Tiny ears.  Tiny fingers.  Tiny nose."  He also loves to tell me "She's soooo cute, Mom."

His dad is his best buddy and he loves to go anywhere and do anything with his dad.

He's still a cuddler.  When he's tired or upset or just wants some individual attention he wants to sit on your lap and be held..."Hode me.  I want you to hode me."...is a familiar phrase in our home.

He loves books.  Loves to look at them and especially loves to be read to.  Only reading 4 books at bedtime is a battle every night...always wants another book.

He likes to watch movies, and lately he likes "Brother Bear", but this has turned every stick into a spear and now he's hunting bears everywhere we go.  :)

His favorite shows on PBS are: Word World (he will watch this all day if I let him), Super Why, Dinosaur Train, and Sesame Street.

Loves to sing songs.  Some of the ones he knows and sings along to are:
Child of God, I Love to See the Temple, We'll Bring the World His Truth, Families Can Be Together Forever, Give Said the Little Stream, My Heavenly Father Loves Me, I Am Like a Star...along with Twinkle, Twinkle, and Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Popcorn Popping.
Then there are the songs he sings w/ dad: Piano Man and God Bless America (he picked this up from watching baseball where they sing this during the 7th inning stretch...he now calls it "Merica Song"

He's all about routines too.  But, he's been getting better about the rigidity of those routines.  He's a lot like his mom when it comes to perfectionism.  If he can't do something the just the way he wants it after one or two tries he gets very frustrated and upset and wants to quit trying.

He's a little picky about foods...mostly the textures of food.  However, the food he does like is really good for him, thankfully enough.  He likes: salmon, sweet potatoes, yogurt, cottage cheese, pancakes/waffles, oatmeal, peas, broccoli, carrots, black beans, chili beans, cheese, eggs, pretty much all fruit(especially raspberries-fresh or frozen), and salmon, salmon, and more salmon.  He eats a salmon sandwich every day and still asks for them every day.

He's started to say some of his night-time prayers by himself with a little prompting.  But...he still is a little rebellious about saying family or food prayers.  He won't really participate or even fold his arms.  But, it's getting better.  :)

He's a thinker and applies things he sees, hears, and does to his imaginative play and our conversations.  He makes me laugh every day with some new thought or idea he's come up with.

Some of my favorite phrases of his are:
"I have a idea mom!  I have a great idea!"
"Not wight now mom...I busy."
"The plan worked!"
"Seriouswee?"
"Are you serious?"
"Oh Man!"
"I not yittle!  I BIG!"
"I make you happy mom?!"
(There are lots more but I can't remember them at the moment.  I'll have to post more as I remember and write them down.)

There are so many things we love about this little boy.  He's very obedient and wants to please mom and dad.  His main motivation for things is to make Mom, Dad or Jesus happy.

We are grateful every day our Heavenly Father blessed our home with his sweet spirit.  We can not imagine what our lives would be like without him.

While we are sad to see our baby boy grow from a toddler to a little boy...we are enjoying every minute and are excited and looking forward to the  next year with our Bug.