Jeffrey is Three

As of 9:37pm last night, I have a three year old. It's such a bittersweet feeling to have your little babies have birthdays. You're so proud of everything that they've accomplished, but it's so sad to see them grow so quickly. Now, I have a pre-schooler. It's amazing. The days are filled with so much excitement, laughter and energy (sometimes too much!). He needs me less and less each day with mundane things like putting his clothes on, opening food to eat or even putting him to sleep. He's growing into his own person, and I'm loving who he's becoming. He's so smart and inquisitive, and I just love having conversations with him. Although it can get pretty frustrating to keep delving deeper and deeper into the "why" of things, it's amazing to see his brain working and figuring everything out. His memory and understanding is incredible. I'm constantly in awe of what he knows and can do, and I have no idea when he learned how to do any of it. My biggest struggle is remembering that he is still so little, even though he acts so much older.

He's the most amazing big brother; he couldn't love Gavin any more than he does. He's so sweet and respectful to everybody. I love that he gets all shy in new social situations, but then he'll bust out of his shell and have everyone laughing and enjoying the show he's putting on. He's a ball of energy that never stops, and his brain never shuts down. The hardest part of his day is slowing down enough to fall asleep at night. He is potty trained (knock on wood!) ever since deciding that he was going to be a week or so ago. He has his own opinions and will make sure that they are heard. He loves to be on the go and do all sorts of fun activities like the park, zoo or museums. He also loves rest days where we just lounge around at home. He asks every day if it's a school day and gushes about his teachers and friends there. He's ridiculously smart, and we have trouble finding things for him to channel his learning since most toys that are geared towards this age are too easy for him, yet the next step of toys are too complex. He has a crazy active imagination and a killer sense of humor. He's the most stubborn and obstinate child when he wants to be, just to balance out being so chill and calm the rest of the time.

If I'd been asked to design my perfect child three years ago, I'm fairly certain that Jeffrey is not what I would have chosen. Thank goodness that we're not asked because that would have certainly been a loss on my end. He is just the right son for me- challenging me and entertaining me day in and day out. I cannot wait to see what this next year holds for him.