Young, Wild & THREE!

Today Luke turns the big 3! It’s hard to believe he’s already been a part of our family for three years. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I saw those two pink lines and began to prepare for the arrival of our first baby.

That first year was all about the milestones, and every time he hit one, Robert and I were so proud. His first smile, first attempts to roll over, sit up, crawl, pull up, walk and utter his first words were each such a big deal. We couldn’t wait for him to accomplish the next big thing, and before we knew it, he wasn’t a baby anymore!

In the moment, I was happy to transition out of the baby phase. I loved it, but the adventures of a one-year-old became so exciting! We replaced bottles with sippy cups, onesies with shorts and t-shirts, baby food with table scraps. We baby proofed everything, and then decided reorganizing our house would be easier than continuing to re-baby-proof everything that he outsmarted.

He ran around without fear everywhere! Into everything. Climbing on everything. Drawing on everything. With that came lots of bumps and boo boos.

Toward his second birthday his love for golf and lawn tools really amped up. He would hit a golf ball and run to it just to hit it again. And he’d help Robert every Saturday with all the lawn work.

At age two his spirited nature really started to shine through as he grew even more passionate about the things he loved as well as the things he would rather not do. He became his own little person in the last year, full of his own opinions, likes and dislikes, and his own friends and experiences with other people.

 

To say “goodbye” to two, I’m capturing some of the things I don’t want to forget because I know that in a flash, he’s going to be four and I’ll forget this moment in time.

I don’t want to forget…

The way your eyes light up when daddy says he’s going to mow.

The way when I tell you to behave you say, “I’m ‘hayve'” while batting your eye lashes.

The way you never stop talking! You narrate life with such zest and charm. I think you’ll definitely be extroverted like your daddy!

The way you have taught me so much about lawn equipment, how to fix things, golf and Paw Patrol (a show on Nick Jr.).

The way your imagination has really taken off as you give your toys and tools a life of their own.

The way you line up your Paw Patrol pup figurines, kiss them goodnight and tell them you love them before going to sleep at night.

How you grab my neck and tell me you love me right when I feel like I want to strangle you.

How you come into my room early in the morning to report that it’s light outside and that I need to get out of bed.

The way we cannot walk out the front door without 1-2 tools in hand and we cannot walk around the neighborhood without doing work at every neighbor’s lawn we pass.

The way you line things up in a very particular order – first it was the golf clubs, then your tools, now your pups and their vehicles.

The way you always need to give me one more hug when I’m dropping you off at school.

The way you want to race and tickle around the house.

The way you needed the whole bag of gummy worms so you could share them with your pups (but you proceeded to admit you ate the whole bag yourself).

The way you say the wrong words like “hiccup truck,” (pick-up truck) “magic oranges” (mandarin oranges) and “soup-case” (suitcase) and how you think a hammock is a picnic and grass plugs are the equivalent of ear plugs for the grass.

The way you idolize your daddy and copy his every move.

The way you talk to your brother using the same words I use with him, like “no Eli that’s too small for you!” and when you tell me “Eli’s just a baby, mama.”

The way you call me “ma” and tell me to “come” or “come check this out with me.”

The way you correct someone when they misinterpret you by starting your sentence with “ackshee” (actually)

I’ll end my list there but there are many more adorable antics I’m sure I’m missing.

My hopes for age three are that our relationship can mature and grow stronger; that tantrums fizzle; that we go on new adventures and continue repeating the ones we love; that you keep helping daddy with the lawn and improve your golf swing; that you start playing team sports with success; and mostly, that you feel loved from me and the rest of our family and friends.

Happy third birthday silly Luke! Here’s to another wonderful year!