Tomorrow You Are Three

Last night, while your daddy and I sat and brainstormed pirate rhymes for your birthday party thank yous, we listened to you play pretend from the bathtub.  Until your little toes were shriveled up like prunes, we listened and every once and awhile stopped and smiled at each other as your little voice filled our house with everything that is good.  We couldn't always make out what you were saying, but your animated sounds and lively expressions were so cute.  It was such a fitting image of who you are - perfectly content and unphased by anything except your race cars, your cartoons, or your sippy cup of water before bed.  The night was quiet, the windows were open, and we listened to you for a half an hour, lost in your own little world of play.  I stopped several times to remind myself to "remember this moment" - one of my last snapshots of you at two. 

Tomorrow, you are turning three.  And while it hurts just a little to see you growing so big and getting almost too heavy for my arms, I am mostly happy and so so lucky to be a part of your life.  Your daddy and I laugh at you and stand in complete awe at how cool you are on a daily basis.  The things you say, the looks you give, and the way you need us and love us makes us so happy to be part of your family.    

Happy 3rd Birthday, sweet boy.  Thanks for changing our whole world for the better.  Your unique spark has lit up a world I never knew existed and I pray your little flame continues to grow even bigger as you age.  You brighten up so many lives by just being you - and the beautiful thing is you don't even know it. 

A few of my favorite things about you on your final day @ two...

1.  the way you tell me all about the life cycle of a butterfly on the way home from school and the way you say, 'chrysallis.'  It's my favorite word you say and I ask you to tell me about it forty times a day.  

2.  the way you are with your baby cousins.  So gentle, so loving, so mature.  I can't think about you being a big brother without getting a lump in my throat and I'm anxiously awaiting the day you meet your little sis.

3.  your cooking show during bathtime.  You love to make soup, and legitimately look like you are leading a show on the Food Network.  You talk to yourself, give your audience directions, and even gasp like Julia Child when you 'accidentally' spill a cup of bath water on the bathroom floor.

4.  you are a picky eater, but our saving grace at dinner time has been a pair of dice and a little game I found on Pinterest.  Every night, we allow you to roll the dice, count the black dots, and take the same number of bites from your plate.  It's worked amazingly well so far, and it's funny how much you are willing to try when it's magically turned into a game.

5.  you request that we "pwease shut the door" when you have to go poop.  And it's almost always twenty-minutes during bathtime, to which your water gets cold and we basically have to start the process all over again.  You are a man of routine!

6.  when you're upset, it helps to take deep breaths.  Daddy taught you this one night and it's the cutest thing ever.

7.  you take a dixie cup of mini marshmallows with you to school every single morning.  

8.  you like it when Daddy sings you "Fire and Rain."  You have since you were a tiny baby.

9.  we catch you singing at random multiple times throughout the day.  Your favorites are the Itsy Bitsy Spider, the Johnny Appleseed song, and your newest favorite, "God is watching, watching over you!"  You can also recite the cutest 'months of the year' song and know the calendar well.  You, too, love "fall" and inform me that soon the leaves will fall off the trees.  The knowledge you come home with from school amazes me. 

10.  putting you to bed at night is a challenge as you've figured out how to manipulate your parents by requesting numerous things at numerous times before falling asleep.  A sippy of water, a Lightning McQueen car, medicine (Tylenol), or potty.  

11.  stuffed animals have never interested you, but you must sleep with a random toy every single night.  Most of the time it's a race car, but other recent requests have included a sword, a book order, and your dad's Madden Xbox game.  And whatever goes to bed with you is always clenched in your hand as you await to be rescued from the top of the stairs in the morning.  Sometimes, you stand there with quite the handful of stuff!

12.  Depending on the day, you require about 4-6 hugs before I leave daycare in the morning.  I think it's more about attention than a true need for a hug, but I secretly adore this.  The way you run away, then stop, turn around, and look at me with those big brown eyes of yours before running up and wrapping your arms around my neck.   

This weekend, we are finally surprising you with a night at a place you've requested we go to for months.  I can't wait for a quiet weekend at home to focus on nothing but you and that smile on your face.  

We love you, sweet boy.  Happy Three!