For the baby book (written yesterday)

Dear Landon,

Today you are three years old. You've been looking forward to this day since sometime in February when you learned it was my birthday and wanted to know about yours. Since then you have told at least 100 strangers that "my birthday is in July!" and we have discussed the merits of various birthday cakes for months. For the record, you selected a chocolate cake with white frosting from Costco that they will decorate with a multi-colored caterpillar. You are extremely excited about this cake and the fact that your friends will get to eat it too.

In fact, as I sit here and think about what I want to memorialize about who you are right now, I think that's it- you are just 38 inches and 38 pounds of excitement. Excitement, playfulness, and love. Toddlers have a bad reputation and you have single handedly slayed it for anyone who knows you. You are so happy and smiley, so giving and empathetic, and just so generally sweet that it's impossible not to smile when you're around. You love new people, adapt easily to change, and are enthusiastic about nearly everything.

You talk non-stop, using new words and complex phrases in a way that surprises us daily. There are so many nights that your daddy and I lay in bed and one of us will just start laughing quietly over something you said during the day. You are very matter-of-fact, often telling us things that you want to happen as though they are already certain. You remember things we've said and play them back for us at inopportune times weeks later. You also put things together to make your own, surprisingly logical, conclusions. Yesterday when I was feeding Claire a bottle you walked over to us and said, "Baby Claire, you need to drink ALL you milk so you can grow up big and strong and talk to me!". I'm assuming this came from us telling you that milk is Claire's food, that Claire can't talk to you until she gets bigger, and your food makes you big and strong. It's little moments like that that make me unbelievably glad I had children.

And speaking of Claire, you are such an amazing big brother. You love Claire and introduce her as "my baby sister" to everyone. Your favorite thing is to "pet" her head or her feet and you always insist on giving her a hug before you go to bed. You get very excited every time we take a car ride because "baby Claire" is next to you in the back seat. Sometimes I'll walk into a room to find you sitting near her and playing and when you see me you say "I was just taking care of my sister mommy". When she cries you're one of the first in our room to check on her and ever since we mentioned she sometimes has a tummy ache you walk up and ask her how she's feeling every morning. You really do love her very much and it is a joy to see.

You continue to love your room and your bed, and you sleep from approximately 8 pm to 7 am each night. You have never left your bed at night, and in the morning you take yourself downstairs to play in the playroom until mommy and daddy wake up. In fact, it wasn't until a few weeks ago when I was up at 6:30 feeding Claire that I found out you come downstairs a lot earlier than we thought you did! But I think you like your early alone time because you looked very confused and not exactly happy to see me awake when you were. Each morning when daddy or I come out of our room we'll find you building a block tower or reading a book to Puppy, Ducky, and Teddy (the three animals you sleep with every night and tuck carefully back into your bed before you leave for daycare in the morning) and you look up with a giant smile and announce, "I had a great sleep!" It's one of my favorite parts of our day.

You continue to love "daycay" and your friends and teachers and they all love you back. Music class is your very favorite activity and when you have your Friday dance parties (one of your teachers DJ's at night and he brings his equipment out on the playground on Fridays) you are a big hit- we've heard from teachers who aren't even in your class that they love to watch you groove. You also love trucks, sharks, dinosaurs, blocks, space ships, airplanes and hepatopters, fire trucks, books, balls, hats, Spiderman, and taking showers. You now take a shower every morning with daddy and you act like it's some sort of special treat we're giving you.

And lest you one day think you were too perfect, there are a few things you do NOT love. Namely, eating your dinner in a timely manner, thunder (aka "funder"), your swimming lessons (though you claim to afterward), watching TV or movies, and when we call your crocs "shoes" (the latter seems to be a particular pet peeve of yours). Based on past experience you also don't like long car rides, but we're hoping that will change as you (hopefully) discover that the occasional TV show or movie is fun and an excellent substitute for screaming that you want to "go home to Austin" over and over again. I should probably also note that you are 100% potty-trained during the day, 75% potty trained during your nap, and 0% potty trained at night. We haven't actually attempted the night part yet. You sleep like you are unconscious and given that loud movies and the parties we've held downstairs don't wake you- nor does the two minutes of shoulder shaking I've had to do on the rare mornings I need to wake you up early, I don't think the urge to pee would either. Maybe next year.

You are truly a joy and a gift to your daddy and me, Landon, and above anything else I wish for you it's that you always keep your zest for life, your enthusiasm for all things new, and your huge heart. We love you so very much.

Mommy.