Happy 3rd Birthday! You continue to grow into a very sweet boy. That's not to say that you haven't truly gotten in touch with your stubborn side, which you certainly did this past year. Your willfulness, however, is perfectly within the normal range for a 2-3 year old. And I think it is a direct result of your desire to do more and more things "all by yourself". You have started dressing yourself, helping yourself to snacks in the kitchen, helping me set the dinner table and even going to the potty all by yourself. Daddy and I have always admired your independence. You continue to prove this is one of your strongest personality traits.
October 2010
Going hand in hand with your independent streak is your sense of adventure. You are fearless in so many ways. Just last week you were jumping along a set of raised cement circles at our park. The space between these circles would seem to be too wide for you to jump across. Yet, you bounded along them as if it were no big deal. You are always game to try something new. I admire that about you a great deal. And yet, I also imagine you will cause me to have heart failure a great many times over the course of your childhood because you are so very daring! I will have to sit back and enjoy your adventures along with you, for I would hate to ever be responsible for curbing your great sense of adventure.
January 2011
This year saw you successfully master potty-training. You've also learned how to spell your name. And you are a total fish in the water. You loved swimming/wading at the pool and beach this summer. By the end of summer, you were jumping off the wall into the 2ft pool without any assistance from me.
June 2011
August 2011
You continue to be Andrew's shadow and mimic. Andrew has taught you to love putting on puppet shows. You love to tell a good knock-knock joke taking great pleasure in making others laugh. Your physical prowess combined with your sense of humor make us forget sometimes that you are two years younger than Andrew. I often joke to others, "don't tell Jay he is two years younger because he does not seem to know that he is." You keep pace with Andrew like it's no big deal.
March 2011
This coming year is going to be very special for you and me. Andrew is starting pre-school tomorrow which means you and I are going to have a chance to spend some quality one-on-one time together. I am really looking forward to being able to focus on just you for those few hours each week that Andrew is in school. You hardly seem like my little baby at all anymore and I know that is going to continue to fade over the course of this coming year. I look forward to soaking up every little bit that remains while at the same time reveling in the big boy you are becoming. I am so excited for the adventures which lie ahead of you.
I love you, Jay. Happy, happy birthday!
Love,
Mommy
