My Big Boy Turns 3

As you know, our big boy turned 3 on the 19th. I can't believe it! I can still vividly remember holding him in my arms for the first time the day he was born, and now what feels like just a brief time later he has grown into a walking, talking, running, singing, laughing, joyful, big, big boy! He fills our lives with so much vibrancy and love.

At three years old, Miles...
-Is great at riding his scooter! A new accomplishment as of this summer. Frequently we will go out with him on his scooter and me pushing Tommy in the jogging stroller and I literally have to jog to keep up (minus the many times that we stop to inspect ant hills, flowers, sticks, etc.) He often will make it nearly a mile before he asks to ride in the stroller!
-Is a great eater, which is not surprising since he comes from a long line of great eaters on both sides : ) His favorite foods are usually still cheese and fruit, but he will eat almost anything as long as it doesn't have sauce on it.
-Is a good sleeper. Although he still whines a little most nights when we say it's time for bed, after we tuck him in he rarely gets out of bed or fusses at all. Most days he still takes a 1-1.5 hour nap, although this is a bit of a battle some days and requires a thorough back-scratch prior to dozing off. (I know his sleep habits are sort of a boring thing to record, but I have to keep reminding myself of what a good sleeper he is now, because Tommy has difficulties going to bed that are similar to what Miles did as a baby. It gives me hope that Tommy will turn out so well eventually).
-Is a very very inquisitive boy! He provides a constant stream of questions throughout the day, and has shown me how little I actually know about the world and how things work. Thank goodness for the internet! We look things up on it daily, even if I know the answer to a question, just because there is often a youtube video that gives a better demonstration than my explanation. His favorites to look at lately: lightening storms, bird-eating spiders, sharks and other sea animals, and anything related to human physiology. His interests are broad...
-Loves trucks! He still has not out-grown this. He has branched out a bit, and his favorite lately has been monster trucks rather than diggers. He also loves playing with tools and digging in the dirt, building with legos or blocks, playing trains, and above all playing "pretend" anything. He has a great imagination and loves to make up games from doctor to otters to magician.
-Is becoming a good little swimmer (for a three year old...). This summer he has started jumping in off the side of the pool without having his hand held and will stick his head all the way under the water. He has been asking to go off the diving board lately, but I'm not quite sure he can swim well enough even with his life jacket to do that yet.
-Continues to love music. Benjamin made him a mixed CD of great old rock music that they both love, and Miles always especially asks to hear "Werewolves in London". His other favorite as of late is the song "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons and loves to belt out the chorus as loud as he can. He will dance to music anywhere, and often sings his own songs. He is really disappointed that I don't know as many fun sing-along songs as Grandma J.
-Is generally a very light-hearted, outgoing, vigorous boy. He is joyfully happy most the time and usually very easy to please and affectionate. I am particularly grateful for his easy disposition because I feel like I am continually making mistakes as a parent and learning how to be a good parent and in spite of my short comings he just keeps on smiling. He loves to be silly. He is occasionally still a bit of a bruiser (on Sunday he body-checked an 18 month old in nursery) but is doing better all the time at using words to communicate when he is upset instead of being aggressive or throwing a fit.
-Is nearly potty-trained! Hallelujah! Three days before his birthday he suddenly decided he wanted to wear underwear and has been doing pretty dang well since! He still has a bit of work to do to figure out how to listen to his body and go without prompting, but I am happy as can be that he decided of his own accord that he was ready to be a "big boy"!

Miles, we are so glad you are in our family and are so proud of the wonderful boy you are! You bring joy to us every day! Happy Birthday!