Dear James,
You turned three years old on July 16th and it's impossibly hard to believe that you have already been ours for over 1,095 days. We think you're pretty spectacular and couldn't imagine life without your sweet presence.
We went to see Dr. Butler for your well check a few days ago and at age three you are 35 pounds and 38 3/4 inches tall. You're in the 80th percentile for weight and the 75th for height. You are a strong and healthy boy. Dr. B asked if you are a good eater and what can I say... you eat just about everything we put in front of you... except vegetables! Nary a vegetable ever passes your lips. We went to your first Chuck E. Cheese birthday party a few weeks ago and while all of the other kids raced around playing games and being silly, you were content to sit at the table all by yourself and eat pizza and cake. I just love this about you!
On your actual birthday we had a special surprise for you... a trip to the zoo! We had doughnuts for bressfest, as you call it, because every birthday is deserving of a doughnut breakfast.
Then we headed to the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium with Nana, Pop and Ethan. It was a hot day with temps hitting the nineties when we arrived at 10 am. Ick! But we made the best of it.
They are pretty amazing creatures and we got to see them up close and personal in the elephant house.
The giraffes were pretty cool too!
And the aquarium... literally it was the coolest place. We were dying to go in there!
Despite the heat it was a great trip! We headed home for a quiet afternoon of napping and then had birthday dinner with your Aunt Heather, Madeline, Paulette and Nan. We can always count on Aunt Heather to come up with the most creative gift!
Who doesn't need a giant inflatable yellow ball to roll around the front yard in? And yes... that is your 71 year old grandmother showing you how it's done!
Next we had cake and you enjoyed having us sing to you and loved opening presents this year.
Later that weekend we had another party with all the family. It was a fire truck theme complete with a pinata, pizza, water balloons and a funfetti cake. What else does a three year old need? You had a blast running around like a crazy maniac with your cousins and literally collapsed into bed that night sugared up and exhausted.
My sweet James, there is so much I love about you right now. You are my little kindred spirit. You love to read books and bake with me. Any time you hear me start the mixer you pull up a chair and say, "Can I make with you mommy?" You're quite a helper too. You are always eager to pitch in with helping to unload the dishwasher or sweep the floors. You also love to do "daddy things" like driving your truck to work on the deck, fixing things with your tools, cutting the grass and most recently painting.
I wish I could bottle you up so that I would not forget the sound of your little voice singing bible songs and nursery rhymes as you lull yourself to sleep at night, the sound of your feet thumping the floor as you march around the house banging on instruments with your brother padding along behind you, the soft, sweet smell of your skin just after a bath at night and maybe even the exhausting 3 am wake up call because you "had a scary" when you heard thunder.
You are a sweet, sensitive, smart, kind and wonderful boy and we're so blessed that you're ours.
Happy 3rd Birthday James!
We love you!
