Noah's 3rd Birthday Letter

Dear sweet boy,

I have had the hardest time writing your 3rd birthday letter. Not because I can't think of a million reasons why I love you. Because I can and then some. And not because I can't think of a thousand funny things you did throughout the year. Because goodness knows that list is LONG. And not because you haven't done anything new. Because every day you amaze me with how much you know and how much you learn.

No...maybe it's because you are my first born. There is something about a mommy's first born child. (And no, son, that does not mean you can go tell your brother that mommy loves you more. I love you both equally. ;) There is a special bond that you and I have, though, because you were there in the beginning. You were there when our family of two became a family of three. You were there when Daddy and I went from being a couple to a family. You were there when our world was turned upside down in the most amazing way. And I was there when you took your first breath and subsequently my breath away.

Maybe it's because I can't imagine how three years have flown by and how my little baby is now a little kid! I look at you and can still picture you as a snuggly little newborn, a big-bellied waddling toddler, and a feisty and fun two year old. Yet, you have changed so much! You have grown so much this year, both in size and behavior. You had a huge growth spurt over the last 6 months, and you now weigh 39 lbs. (96%) and you're 40 in. tall (90%). Many people think you are older than you are!

Here is the post from when you turned 2 1/2 just for the record. :)

You had a year of MANY changes, and you handled them like a champ...well, like a 2 yr old champ. :) In April, you became a big brother to Gabe, and you are one amazing brother!! Before that, you had to deal with a mommy on bedrest, which was not too fun for you. But, thankfully you spent lots of time with your GiGi and Sassy, and I know you enjoyed having them around. In June, we made the biggest change of all with our move from Nashville to Florida. It was harder for me than you, which I am thankful for. You absolutely LOVE Florida...the beach, the outdoors, the lack of cold...it's all right up your alley. You've also made some great friends here...Max, Benjamin, Orli, Katie, Jack..,just to name a few. I love that you're happy.

You go to preschool twice a week from 9 to noon. Your teachers' names are Ms. Cheryl and Ms. Annika, and your best friends at school are Danny, Jake, and Emily. I went to your parent-teacher conference the other day and apparently you are quiet (?) and well-behaved at school! You tend to take more of a follower role at school (again, ???), and your teachers say they enjoy having you in class. Your favorite thing is still playing outside, so of course you love the playground there.

You still enjoy playing sports with Daddy, and you are finishing up your first soccer season. An interesting fact, you actually throw right-handed but kick left-footed! Hmmmm. Not sure what that means, but could be important so I'm writing it down. :) You liked soccer, however it's hard for you to take the ball away from someone else. The other day at soccer, a little girl fell down, and instead of going after the ball, you stopped to make sure she was okay. Such a compassionate little guy! That will serve you well later in life. :) You start t-ball next month, so we'll see how that goes.

Your imagination is INCREDIBLE at this age, and I love watching you when you don't realize I'm there. Just today, Daisy, Donald, Mickey, and friends supposedly came to our door and you invited them in for a visit. Then you all "went to the beach"...which involved you taking off all your clothes and then putting them back on again when you were "back." Hmmm...not sure what kind-of beach you went to but it seemed like fun.

One of my favorite things you do these days is help me put Gabe down for a nap. You have to rock him and sing to him...your songs of choice? The ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle, and the "Ay, Ya, Ya song" (which I think is actually "Hey, Hey, hey, what's going on?" from the 4Non Blondes...) You attempt to read him a book sometimes, too, but that never goes well...for multiple reasons. Then, you insist on putting him in his crib, but after a few steps you give him to me and say "He's too heavy." Very true. You love your brother so much, and I'm so glad you have each other!

Your favorite place is still the playground...or the zoo....it's a toss-up, really. At the playground, you LOVE to play chase with anyone who will play. Your favorite thing, though, is still swinging. In the baby swing no less. And you have to go "HIGH" or you will yell in protest. I love that you love the outdoors so much. Santa brought you a bike for Christmas, and mommy and daddy gave you a scooter. You have learned to ride them both well, and the park down the street is the perfect place for all your fun riding toys. The zoo is another favorite place, with the giraffes and elephants being your favorite animals there. In fact, you insisted on a "giraffe party" for your birthday, so we had a jungle themed birthday party for you. We have annual passes to the zoo, and it is definitely money well spent.

Before I close this letter, I wanted to give you an idea of what a typical day is for you. I've had friends do this, and I just think it's such a special way to remember just the way you are at this age. So, below I've included a typical day for you as well as some pictures of you throughout the years.

Noah, you are such an amazing little boy, and your mommy and daddy love you so very much. You bring us so much joy, and our lives are better simply because you are a part of them. You often ask me, "Mommy, I make you happy??" Yes, baby boy, you make me VERY happy. :)

Love,

Mommy

Newborn

6 Months

1 Year

(I still see this look often. :))

2 Years Old

3 Years Old

The many faces of Noah... A Day in the Life of Noah

7:30 You wake up and come find me. Sometimes quietly, sometimes not. We usually read books or play for a little bit. You sometimes ask for yogurt, yet you aren't usually ready for breakfast. You check the clock every few minutes to see if it's 8:00 yet...because that's when Little Einsteins comes on and your allowed to watch a show. :)

8:00 Watch Little Einsteins while I get breakfast ready (or feed Gabe).

8:30 We eat breakfast and play some more.

9:00 Gabe naps, and you and I play. Sometimes you watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse at this time (depending on if mommy showered before you woke up or not :))

10:30/11 We get out of the house. Some of our typical activities: playgroup (on Fridays), the zoo, the aquarium, the park, Max's house:), errands (Target, Publix where you HAVE to ride in the green car shopping cart!), etc.

12/1: Lunch (your favorites: PBJ sandwich, grilled cheese, mini corndogs, chicken nuggets...esp. from Chick-Fil-A, fruit of all kinds)

1:00/2:00: Naptime. We read a few books on your hippo chair, and then I lie in bed with you for "just a lil' bit." We do squishes, and then I usually sing you a song (Baby Mine, You are My Sunshine, the Rainbow Song, Colors, Jesus Loves Me) and scratch your back.

4:00 (give or take): You wake up and like to be held. Once you've had a little time to fully wake up, you're ready to play. Sometimes we'll play around the house or we'll head to the park down the street.

5:30 I make dinner while you play or watch a show. If Daddy's home, you'll go with him on a run or to the park.

6:00/6:30 Dinner. You eat what we eat...you aren't such a meat fan, and you don't like spices! (For the longest time, you called spicy, "ficy"..."Too ficy, Mommy!")

7:30 Bathtime. You like the water HOT. And you love practicing your swimming skills in the bath ('reach and pulls', 'shark fins', etc.) You also like to pretend to be a hippo or another animal.

8:00 Sometimes you do starfall.com with Daddy. Most of the time, you are ready for books by this point. Currently, Daddy puts you to bed most of the time and Mommy puts Gabe to bed. You and Daddy have some special rituals you do every night...read books first, squishes, say prayers, and Daddy tells you a story (lately you request a story involving Buzz Lightyear and the witch.)

8:30 Night Night Noah

Of course, this schedule changes depending on the day. Currently, you go to preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-noon. On Saturdays, you have soccer from 8:30-9:30 am. Sundays, we all go to church as a family. Monday nights you have swimming, and you've just started going to church on Wednesday nights with Mommy (you have Kids Zone with friends!) You love to get out and about, and you often ask me "Where we gonna go next?" or "It's a beautiful day, what are we gonna do?"