Happy 3rd Birthday, Liam Joseph!

Dear Liam,

I looked at your hands last night and thought to myself, "How are these the same little hands that came home from the hospital?"  The little hands that were able to do so little aside from grasp a finger...those same hands now color, throw balls, zipper coats, and hold utensils.  Those same chubby hands grab my face and smoosh it up in preparation to give me a good morning kiss.  Those same hands grip the chain link fence that surrounds the playground at daycare, as you start to jump up and down when I walk toward you.  Those same hands that grip tight around your daddy's neck when he carries you on his shoulders. Those same hands fly up in the air with excitement when we get home and you see your big brother for the first time since that morning.

How are those the same hands that were oh so very tiny just three years ago??

You are now THREE years old, Little!!  It's been a whirlwind of a year for you....changing classrooms at daycare, going to Disney World, learning so much, and growing like crazy.  You are known as one of the cuddliest/most lovey kids at your daycare, constantly passing out hugs and kisses to anyone you encounter.  Your teachers let me in on a little secret, which is that they let you get away with probably more than they should at school because (and I quote) you're "just too much cuteness and charm to handle"  Shhh...don't tell your classmates! ;)

You've learned so much over the past year, and your vocabulary just exploded one day.  They are working with you at school how to properly pronounce "three"; right now, you say "fwee" and truth be told, as much as I know you *should* learn how to say it correctly, I don't want you to do that.  I love the little "Liam-isms".

Your favorite activities include doing anything that Jake is doing, playing outside, building puzzles, coloring, and snuggling.  I keep waiting for your love of snuggling to just go away one day (and when that day comes I will become depressed!) but it is definitely still here.  Even though I have about a thousand things to do every night after you go to bed, I find it so hard to resist your tiny voice saying, "Can you lay with me, mommy?  Please let's snuggle!"  (to make it even better, your l's are usually said as w's or y's, so it's actually more like "yay with me" and "pwease yet's snuggle!")   Oh, and eating!  Of course, the eating.  You still have a very solid appetite :)  We haven't gone for your 3 year check up yet, but when we were at the doctor earlier in the week for an ear infection (boo!) you were about 33 pounds.

You still tend to reject watching TV a lot of times, which I know isn't the worst thing in the world (even though it would sometimes be easier if I could buy myself 30 minutes with a show!); you much prefer to follow your dad and I around the house :)  When you do watch, your favorite shows are Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Octonauts.  You are pretty much obsessed with the Lion King, the Jungle Book, and Frozen as far as movies go.  You love to read books, pretty much any books, though you have this habit of picking one and only wanting to read just that one single book for a full week then changing it up to another one after that.  We always say you go all in for everything in life! 

We are so very proud of you Liam, and we look forward to seeing what the next year holds for you!

2 weeks old

6 months old

1 year old

1.5 years old

2 years old

2.5 years old

3 years old