Cody's 3rd Birthday Letter

Dear Little Cody-bear,

After a whole year of insisting that you are three (a misunderstanding that took hold when Bret was still three and you believed yourself to essentially be an extension of him), you finally are indeed three!  Or "flee," as you say it.

Serena made a birthday hat for you!

This birthday was extra special to Mommy because Serena & Bret spent the day with Daddy training dogs, so I had you all to myself.  You were pretty happy about it being your birthday and all, but mainly you just wanted to know when we were going to eat cake. ;) When Serena had her birthday a month ago, you found out about the birthday cake thing and could hardly wait until you had one!  So for every activity I proposed on your birthday, you agreed and then said, "And then we will have cake?"

You continue to be a big boy on the growth charts!  You are more than 2 lbs heavier than Bret now (but don't tell Bret that!), but he still has at least a couple inches on you.  I have to say that your physique is such that I just want to hold you and squeeze you and tickle you like all the time!  ;)

Though you've been a late-bloomer in the talking department, you have never let that keep you from communicating what you want to.  I don't know if I've ever met a kid your age with so many expressions!  You could be a mime!  Fortunately, you don't seem to be very frustrated by the fact that most people can't understand you, as you are a pretty easy-going guy, and you blab away telling your stories with all kinds of flair.  My favorite mispronunciation that you make is the way you substitute "l's" for "r's" when they are the second letter in a word.  Some examples that I hear a lot are, "glapes," "glamma and "glampa," "glammie," and "glill."  Oh!  And though I don't so much love the grumpy mood you're in when you get up from your nap most days, I can't help but want to laugh when you say to Bret with that dark look on your face, "Pease don't talk to me, Bet.  I feeling glumpy."  :D

I know, hard to imagine that face ever feeling "glumpy," huh?

Speaking of Bret, you and he are about the best brothers to each other that any kid could wish for at this age.  You spend a lot of time imitating Bret and trying to one-up his stories; but you also love to help him, and you guys work together on all kinds of boyish projects.  You dig holes, plant things, build things, tie wagons to bikes, pull things, push things, throw things, and catch innumerable bugs.  You cheer each other and bother each other and embolden each other and it really is hilarious to behold. My favorite is how when you two are plotting some new exploit you both drop your voices to a lower octave to sound a little more manly.  It is apparently an unconscious thing you do, but it takes everything in me to take you guys seriously when you do that!

You are not so much Serena's baby anymore, but she still loves to mother you when she can.  And your helpful nature works well with her desire for a little person to follow her around.  She gives you all kinds of little jobs and you carry them out with a serious and important air that is very pleasing.  ;)  You have one area in which you particularly love to copy Serena, and that is in the area of books and reading.  You must always have a book on hand...but not a little picture book.  Oh no, those are not big enough for a boy like you!  You must have one of Serena's books.  And so, you usually have a nice thick book nearby that you are "reading."  And you've also picked up on Serena's love of pretending to be characters from her books, but you got stuck on one.  Beezus, from Beezus and Ramona.  Yep, whenever Serena tells me who she is at the moment, you have to cut in with, "And I'm Bee-zusss."

You love to be read to and scramble to pick a book if given the opportunity.  Since moving to our new house and seeing trains every day, your favorite books are about trains, of course, but you'll take about any book as long as it's more than what Bret has.  ;)

I think that if we had to pick a favorite activity of yours it would be riding your bike.  Well, Bret's bike, actually, because you mastered the balance bike and now speed up and down the driveway and even stand up on your pedals and coast on Bret's little bike.  Lucky for you, Bret is an awesome big brother and gets almost as much enjoyment from watching you zip around on his bike as you do!

And banging on things is still one of your favorite pastimes!

As much as Bret loves to grub around for bugs and worms and such, you take it to a whole new level, because you absolutely do. not. care. about getting dirty.  At.  All.  !!!  There have been days when I have had to give you two showers, both of which caused muddy rivulets to cascade from your dirty little body.  I mean, I always heard that boys were dirty little beings, but nothing prepared me for you!!  I have to say that I love it more than I ever thought I could, though!  There's just something about a dirty little boy, brown from the sun, smelling of earth and sweat, grinning with his latest creepy-crawly find!

You are such a sweet little boy to me and Daddy!  You still need Mommy's kisses for your owies, and Mommy's hugs for when something is not right in your little world, and Mommy's finger to hold on tightly to in new situations.  But, your favorite time of day is when Daddy pulls into the driveway and you can race to the door to open it for Daddy!  And you LOVE to pile on him and wrestle!

You LOVE a good belly laugh!

You sure got a laugh out of the carousel at the zoo last month!

And then there was that time you stuck a bead up your nose and we had to vacuum it out with a straw...!

Of all the kids, you have kept your Best Sleeper title.  You still take a nice solid 2-hr nap every afternoon in your cozy little crib with you Ted and your "stuff" (paci & "special blankie").  You wake up dry most mornings and are potty trained for the day and naps (as long as I remind you now and then to go to the bathroom)!  Woohoo!  :)

You three munchkins are about as precious as can be, and have so many great times together!  Sure, there's the fighting and the screaming, but there's also the hugging and the laughing and the hand-holding and the helping and the conspiring and the pretending.  God has blessed us all through you, Cody-bear, and we love you SO very much!

Love, Mommy