Russell is 3!

How are you three, little boy?  Sometimes I feel like you were just born; sometimes I feel like you’ve always been here.
Newborn:

One year:

Two Years:


3 years old!

• Russell is wearing 3T clothes and size 8 shoes.  He is a solid kid; bigger than some 4-year-olds we know.
• His height is 38" (70th percentile) and his weight is 35 lbs (75th percentile).
• Favorite foods: anything sweet; CARS Graham Bites; cheese; PB and J; mac and cheese.
• Favorite drink: “apple juice” (really, any kind of juice, he just thinks it’s all apple juice)
• Favorite song: Peekaboo, I Love You from Meredith’s Kindermusik CD
• Favorite movie/show: CARS
• Favorite book: Cars, Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry
• Favorite toy: all of his cars (Matchbox, Pixar CARS, etc)
• Food dislikes: potatoes (any kind except fries), meat
• Other dislikes: haircuts (there is not a strong enough word for how terrified he is of haircuts); pulling his shirt over his head

Russell is such a boy!  He loves to crash into things/people – so much so that now we make him ask before he does it so he doesn’t catch anyone off-guard.  He loves to play chase with his friends.  He loves to play cars.  He loves to play with diggers/construction trucks in the sandboxes at the playground.  Other (not necessarily boy) things he enjoys: swinging, playing picnic or tea party, reading.
Russell keeps us laughing.  He must have some Yankee in him because he says he has something for “each of ya’s.”  He tells us things are upside-down or “upside-up”.  He likes to go to “Old McDonald’s” (not McDonald’s) to eat.  When answering a question to me, he often says, “okay, my best friend!” which melts my heart! 
Recently, two different people have complimented Russell on his eyes.  He said (both times), “Thanks – my mommy made them for me!”
Russell can: recognize most of the uppercase written alphabet and some of the lowercase; recognize written numbers 1-5; spell his name out loud (sometimes); count to 12; recognize all colors; recognize basic shapes.
Russell has a wonderful personality.  There’s no other way to put it.  He rarely throws tantrums, he is loving and funny.  He has lots of energy, he loves his sister, and he is not usually intentionally mean.  He “goes with the flow.”  Of course, he is nowhere near perfect – he is definitely at a “testing” phase with us and he’s so easygoing that it’s hard to find a punishment that really bothers him.  We are working on that!
We love you, darling boy!  We are so proud of you, and you are such a blessing to us!