Eli's Three Year Letter

Since I don't have traditional baby books for the boys, these letters are one of the ways I keep track of their moments and milestones. They make for a lengthy post, but I know the grandma's appreciate them!

My Little Snuggle Puppy,

Do you remember the Snuggle Puppy book? You wanted Daddy to read it to you every single night for months! I won’t forget the silly song that went with it, just like I won’t forget the many zany, special, sweet moments you’ve given us this past six months.
It’s very hard for me to believe my tiny little 6 pound, 12 ounce baby boy is a great big 3 year old. I guess “great big” is a bit of a stretch since you are just 30 pounds and in the 50% for height and weight, but you seem so grown up! All anyone has to do is ask and you will proudly tell then you are “free!” while attempting to hold up three fingers. In the past six months, you have grown in so many ways and learned to do so many new things!
One of your big accomplishments was learning how to go potty on the big boy potty! It took a few days, lot of mini-marshmallows, and a handful of “Oop-dees!” (“whoop sees”) to get the hang of it. You were so proud to wear big boy undies that you showed them to everyone. Though when it comes to actually using the john, you ask for help to get situated then request, “Get out peas. Me need pie-yacy.”
It seems that each day brings something new that you have mastered. Throughout the day I hear, “Mom! Wat me do dis twick!” as you discover a new ability or meet a new challenge. About a month ago, you surprised me by showing me your “name” on a development sign while we were out for our walk. Since then, you’ve been crazy about finding your “letter” (E) on any kind of print. A few days after this big discovery, you were sitting in time-out on the stairs watching the clock tick down. I kept hearing, “That my letter! (long pause) That my letter!” It took me a minute to figure out that you thought the 3 looked like your E and every time it appeared, you wanted me to know. Silly boy! You’ve been singing the ABC’s, but apparently don’t yet feel a need to include letters E-K…eh, who needs them anyways, right? You’ve also been counting often and most of the time can count 1-5 consistently. Though there are still many days when it is, “2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 6!” Lately, I’ve been finding you “reading” books on your own (Three Billy Goats Gruff and Red Hat, Blue Hat especially.) You still love to be read to and also enjoy going to family story time at the public library.
And then of course there are your absolute favorite books...anything with heavy equipment. We’ve checked them all out from library at least twice. You’re a good student too because you know just about every kind of equipment by name. While driving, I pointed out a “back hoe” to you and you scowled and replied, “Dat no back hoe! Dat weelyoader!” And you know what? It was. I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re gaga over heavy equipment, though, since your crazy about everything that is affiliated with Daddy. (Except his deer in the living room…dat deer scawy.) Each morning when you wake up you ask, “Where Daddy Shane go? He at his work job? He drive big ecabator?” And when Daddy is not at his work job, you are following him around, requesting his attention by yelling, “Hey Shane! What doing?” Whatever it is, he can be sure you’ll want to copy him. Unbeknownst to you, we had a bat in the house one night this summer. You happily followed daddy around the next day while he filled every crack with foam insulation. The next day, I found you shoving playdough in a crack on the stairs. Your explanation? “I fict dis so no bat go in there.” Oh, buddy…it’s all I can do to keep a straight face, and mostly I don’t!
Of all the things you are learning to do, being a wonderful big brother is certainly one of them. Since Emmett joined our family 6 months ago, you have become the most wonderful brother he could ask for. When he was first born, you would wake up first thing and ask, “Where Baby Emmett go?!” And the minute you saw him crack an eye, you would yell, “Baby Emmett wake up!” You happily share many things with him…your room, blankies, sometimes your precious little Lambie, and you’ve even tried to share your snacks with him (while asking, “Emmett have teef?”) He is your biggest fan and adores everything you do. Out of everyone in our family, you are the one who can make him laugh the hardest. (Tickling his chin while asking, “You have a file (smile) in there?” always seems to do the trick!) You’re also very good about helping your little brother learn how things work in this household. The other day I was encouraging him to say “daddy. Dadadada.” And you stepped in to set the record straight. “No Emmett. Do dis. Daaaaddy Shaaaaane.” Emmett’s arrival has sparked a very nurturing nature in you and now you tell me that Lambie is your baby. He’s carefully wrapped in burp clothes, patted, nursed (I’m sure you’ll love to hear this when you are 16) and placed in every baby seat in the house. When Emmett cries, I’ve been trying to help you understand that’s how he explains what he needs by telling you, “Oh, Emmett is telling Mommy, “I’m hungry/tired.” So the other day when he was in his high chair, you helpfully interpreted his cries for me. “Mommy, Emmett say, “I hungee. Me want ice ceam!” I can laugh at all of the funny things you do with your brother, but my heart absolutely melts when you squeeze him tight and exclaim, “I yuv my bruver!”
And try as I might, I won’t be able to fit all of the zany, sweet things that you do into one little letter. So just a couple more things that I just don’t want to forget…
*Rriding in the car on a long trip, we heard you laughing hysterically. When I asked you what was so funny, you demonstrated and said, “Me tickle me!!”
*While standing in line at the hardware store, you noticed some packages. “What dis, Mommy?” you asked. “Deese earpugs?” Nope buddy. Those are candy corn.
*I told you I was putting on your Carhartt shirt. Your reply? “I no see no car. Where dat car go?”
*While Emmett was crying on the baby monitor, you grabbed and yelled into it, “It ok, bruver! I hear you! I coming!”
*While looking at your baby pictures, “Eli come out of mommy’s tummy too?? At hosp?”
*You still are crazy over gum. We are instilling the value of saving (ha!) by allowing you to take money out of your piggy bank to buy a pack all by yourself at the store.
*Your friends right now are Kaylee, Asher, Austyn, and Ashlynn.
*You love pretend play…hunting, dinosaurs, tea party, doctor, dentist, and building of any kind “I a worker guy.”
I could go on and on about the new things you’ve done lately, but know what my favorite things are? The things that don’t change…like how you still want me to sing you your lullaby at night, how you still don’t like vegetables (ok, maybe I don’t love this one), how you still need Lambie to sleep, how you still run to me when you are hurt or scared, how you still carefully observe new situations. Each year I love the “old” things about you more and each day brings something new to love about you!

I love you buddy!
All my love, Mommy