Three

My baby is THREE! I can hardly believe how quickly the time has flown by. O was a surprise and such a wonderful one! I begged and begged, both M and God to have one more baby. M said no, God said yes...and I'm so glad He did!

O, my little shrimp. Came three weeks early and tipped the scales 6lbs 14ounces. The doctors were quite impressed with his size for his "gestational age". I figured he'd be a big boy! He was quite a bit shorter than his big brothers though - only 19inches. To us, he seemed like such a teeny thing. All the other cousins had been much bigger than that, so he was quite the novelty.

He was such a good baby. Easy going and content. He slept well and ate well. He struggled with food allergies, which, thankfully, at three, he has none of anymore.

He still remains easy going and even easier to amuse. He LOVES his big brothers and wants to do everything they do - which is both good and bad! He loves to play with them and wrestle with them.

He is our little athlete. He loves to play outdoors and is a champ at kicking and throwing. He runs fast - even with as short as his little legs are! He plays hard. He goes non stop.

He requires significantly less sleep, than I recall his older brothers needing. He's mostly pleasant and hardly ever whines. He loves to laugh and is silly. He's our little cuddle bug too. He loves to get his blankie and kitty and climb up in your lap.

Two was a big year for little O. He had his eye operated on, got glasses, wore a patch, was able to add dairy back into his diet, moved into a big boy bed, has had his eyes dilated a zillion times and is potty trained.

He is learning to ride a bike, will start playing in his first soccer league, and will be the only one at home during the day in a few short months.

He is our only child that got away with sleeping in our bed and talking a bottle to bed. He is spoiled rotten. He has quickly learned that "he who screams the loudest, get his way the fastest". He doesn't let his brothers bully him either. He can hold his own.

He is our dare devil. Nothing seems to phase him. He will jump off, climb and roll off of anything. He has recently developed an unusual fear of dogs and birds...we are hoping this fear won't last long - although the bird fear is pretty funny.

He has great, curly, wild hair. The color is ever darkening. I am quite certain that it will be as dark as his mommy's before long. He's finally talking quite a bit more. He is learning to communicate much better and often uses his middle brother as his interpreter. M is often able to interpret even the most odd grunts and noises.

He loves to read books and adores trains, just like his older brothers. He knows his colors and can count to 15...if he wants too. He knows the names of all his trains and can often be found laying on the floor "chuffing" his trains along. He enjoys playing play dough too. Of course, as most boys his age, his favorite place to play is outside. He loves being outdoors and digging in the sand.

He is often referred to as the "cool kid" by friends and family. He really is just a cool kid. He has a distince and unique personality. He loves to give "rocks" and high fives to everyone.

He has completed our family and filled our lives with joy. We love him dearly and are so thankful that the Lord saw fit to answer my prayers and bless us with another baby boy.

I am shocked at how quickly these last three years have flown by. I swear I blinked and he was crawling. I blinked again and he was walking...before I knew it, he was walking and talking....now, here I sit, a mother whose youngest child is now THREE! He truly is such a blessing.