Happy birthday to our THREE YEAR OLD!!! Three is dirty knees, scrapes and bruises, wonder and imagination, lots of make believe, picture books, BIG emotions, plenty of poop jokes, silly conversations, sweet conversations, deep conversations, questions I can’t answer, dance parties, sweaty arms wrapped around my neck, and more exclamations of “Mommy, watch this!!!” than I can ever hope to keep track of.
Three is the best. Except for when it’s the hardest. And sometimes it’s really, really hard! Jameson is learning to be gentle and kind even when he’s annoyed; he’s learning patience and good sportsmanship; he’s learning to share; he’s learning to work through more complex emotions like jealousy and ungratefulness and being afraid to fail; he’s learning empathy and consideration; he’s learning responsibility and taking pride in doing good work; he’s learning that as wonderful and adorable and fun as he is…the world is full of other people to serve. He’s learning about who God is and what the Bible says about every one of us. Sometimes I find myself lost on how to teach him truths that feel too big for even me to understand. Sometimes I don’t know whether to deal with an issue or give him grace. It’s a lot of learning for both of us. But I go to bed every night feeling ever so thankful for the boy who made me a mother and for every moment I get to spend with him by my side. These are the good old days, right now.
Here’s what’s new for Jameson at three years old…
Height and Weight: At his three-year-old checkup he weighed in right at 30 lbs and stands 3 ft, 1 inch tall. This puts him in the 32nd percentile for weight and the 40th for height. A bit on the smaller side, but still growing well and very healthy. 🙂 He’s meeting (or exceeding) all of his milestones and our pediatrician was happy with his growth over the past year.
Clothing: He’s in the 3T size now, although some of his 2T clothes still fit him if the brand runs a little big. His shoes are size 8, and (*drumroll please*) no more diapers! We started potty training about three months ago and it really only took a week and a half from start to finish. He was ready. And you better believe I was too haha!
Sleep: In general, he sleeps fine. He’s still napping for about an hour and a half to two hours every afternoon (praaaaaise the Lord) and his bedtime is around 8pm. He sleeps until 6:30am, sometimes a bit later or earlier. Occasionally he’ll wake up during the night and shout for Alex to bring him water (lol) and there have been a few nights since we switched his crib to a bed that he welcomed himself into our bed in the middle of the night. Alex has found him out on the couch in the living room too haha! But mostly he stays in his own bed and it’s not an issue.
Eating: Stiiiiiill such a picky eater. He complains a little bit when we make him eat things he doesn’t like, but he still gets it done. Breakfast and lunch are never issues; it’s really dinner that takes the longest. But he’s expected to eat what we eat and he does. His favorites right now are French toast, strawberries, oranges, veggie straws, broccoli, chicken nuggets, Pirate’s Booty, yogurt, PB&J (or peanut butter and honey), tacos, smoothies, pasta, pizza, and quinoa or rice. He’ll also never say no to a hot dog or some ice cream.
Speech & Language: He’s absolutely full of questions these days and asks “why” about everything. His language skills are better than his speech skills (he’s a little lazy with his articulation of certain sounds) but Alex and I can understand everything he says, even if unfamiliar listeners can’t. He surprises us almost every day with a new vocabulary word, many of which he gets from the stacks and stacks of books we read every day – he’s a total bookworm! ❤ He’s super goofy and has recently been really into making jokes and figuring out humor. Sometimes it’s hilarious and sometimes I’m like, “Okay, enough with the poop jokes. Eat your dinner.” But overall he continues to make progress in this area and it’s a delight to watch him learn and experiment with language! I have a running list on my phone of all my favorite Jameson quotes. 🙂
Milestones: Like I mentioned before, potty training was a big one this year! He can also identify most of the alphabet and some of their sounds now. We play spelling games where we try to figure out what the first letter of words are (“What does ‘pig’ start with? Hmmm…p, p, p…” and he’ll shout out “P!”). He can identify a few numbers by sight as well, and can count to 15 (although he sometimes skips 14 for whatever reason haha). He can verbally spell his name almost (he often says “J-k-m-e-s-o-n” hahah) and can recognize it when it’s written out. He knows the full answers to two catechism questions and has about six Bible verses memorized. He rides his tricycle with ease and climbs and jumps on ev.ery.thing. He loves doing “cool tricks” and frequently does one-legged headstands and flips off the couch onto cushions below. He’s always trying to impress us. 😉 His fine motors skills are improving and he can color within the lines better, although lately he hasn’t been super into coloring anymore, which is sad to me because I love coloring with him! He’s also able to do 24 piece puzzles independently. He just sees how things go together, sometimes even before I do!
Loves: His family, superheroes (especially The Avengers, but Batman too), READING, all things high-action (running, jumping, doing cool tricks, being tossed around, wrestling daddy and/or Nora), sweets, making people laugh, playing pretend (especially dressing up like superheroes or running his pretend restaurant or being a doctor), swimming, hanging out with his grandparents, music (especially when Alex plays guitar or when we listen to our hymns during morning time), dancing, and helping me cook.
Doesn’t like: Many foods, trying new things when he’s not sure how it’ll turn out or when he’s afraid to fail, sharing toys he’s super into at the moment, getting his face wet (in the pool or bath, although he has been improving), and getting his hands dirty (which we are also working on haha).
Things I want to remember: How I often find you with a book on your lap, quietly flipping through its pages. How you’re always trying to get Nora to laugh. Your goofy jokes and the way you change lyrics of songs to try and be funny. Your little voice shouting “I AM ALL DONE POOPING, MOM!” from the bathroom. The way you still love to run around in a circle while Daddy plays guitar during family worship (I’ll be so sad when you outgrow this!). Listening to Daddy read books and do funny voices with you in our big bed every night before bedtime. Watching you and Nora giggle and wrestle each other. The way your curious mind wants to know the answers to every question. Our morning time routine during breakfast (prayers, catechism and memory verses, Bible reading, poetry or Mother Goose rhymes, and listening to hymns). And how you still say “jump on the booka bookas” when you want to jump off the couch onto the pillows.
Jameson, we love you SO much! Just knowing you is such a joy. We feel incredibly blessed to be the ones who get to raise you! We pray daily that you come to know and love the Lord, that you grow to become a good man and a servant leader, and that you fill this world with proclamations of the Gospel. We’re so proud of who you are! It’s the greatest gift to watch you learn and grow. Happy third birthday, baby. ❤
Milk with a Meal 
Happy birthday!
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