Isaac at 36 months

Isaac is three years old.

He is 37.5 inches tall and 32.4 pounds (35th percentile for height -- sorry, buddy! -- and 50th for weight).

He is a total chatterbox, often giving a running commentary on everything he sees or thinks.

He loves Spider-Man and all things superhero (and even all things villain recently). He told me the bad guys were bad because they "had a bad dream." :) He loves bouncy balls and matchbox cars often keeping one or the other wedged in his hand at all times, even while sleeping. He loves sports (particularly baseball, football and basketball), and people often comment that he "has a really good arm" for throwing. He can actually pitch the lightweight plastic "baseball" from our T-ball set to Amelia, and she can hit it! He knows we cheer for Carolina and is very fond of his Carolina football and basketball jerseys and wants to wear them everyday.

He loves babies and uses this hilarious high voice when talking to them or about them (usually involving the phrase "so cuuute").

His favorite color is yellow, which also happens to be the color of his monkey rain boots and his favorite lovey.

He is very adventurous and good at climbing, recently scaling the 8-foot climbing wall at a nearby playground before I even knew where he was!

He still loves music. When we get in the car, he will quickly ask, "Can we have music please, Mommy?" Some of his favorite toys are still his instruments, namely his new trumpet, his Christmas guitar, and his harmonicas and kazoos.

He has two loveys that he sleeps with at nap and bedtime, and he still loves to suck his thumb. He had been sleeping through the night for almost two years solid now, but he's just started waking up during the night again, sometimes courtesy of a "bad dream" or sometimes because he "needs to go potty" or needs a "sip of water." Also, he is not the rule obeyer his sister was and is, so he doesn't feel too concerned about getting up before his clock turns green. Hmmm...

He's a lot farther down the potty training road than he was at 2.5 years old, but he's nowhere near 100% there. A recent bout of constipation has set us back in the #2 arena (which he was doing on the potty 95% of the time last month) but he's definitely getting better and better everyday on the pee front. Isaac now asks to go, stays dry during the day (for the most part) and is dry after naps about 75% of the time. But he is wet in the mornings 100% of the time. Definite progress, but also probably a little disappointing for where I hoped we'd be at age three! I've also heard I'm not the only one having a challenge with a boy this age.

His favorite foods are pasta with tomato sauce, grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese pizza, pears (canned or fresh but never with skin on), pineapple, crackers, bread, bacon, french fries, chips and of course pretty much anything sweet. He is incredibly fickle about fruits and vegetables and meats. Some weeks he can't get enough broccoli and asparagus and then he'll avoid them completely for a month. He loves bananas and strawberries for a week and then I buy a lot and he won't eat them. He used to eat raisins (but only out of the little box) and then he started throwing them around the car when I wasn't looking. He likes burgers at a restaurant but not at home and he'll occasionally eat chicken. He won't even try seafood or steak or a hot dog (which I should probably be happy about). If you ask him his favorite ice cream or cake flavor, he will always tell you "chocolate."

He definitely knows he's a boy and he prefers hanging out with other boys or men. If we're somewhere with lots of girls and women (like at Amelia's dance class), he will seek out the only other boys or men there (often some unsuspecting dad or older brother) and follow them around like a shadow. Similarly, if we have someone over at the house doing some work (painter, electrician, plumber, etc.), Isaac will lie on his stomach with his chin in his hands and watch them intently. And of course he just adores his Granddaddy and his Uncle Sam!

Instead of "nothing," Isaac says, "anything." For example: "Isaac, what did you just throw?" "Anything?" Or when he's being particularly ornery... "Isaac, would you like grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly for lunch?" "Anything!" Another variation is: "Isaac, who did you play with at school today?" "Anybody!"  He is incredibly moody. He can be adorably chipper and happy one minute and then in a horrifically bad mood -- not to be distracted by anything -- if any little thing goes wrong. If this is age three, don't even tell me what we're going to be dealing with at age 15!

Despite the moodiness, Isaac is also incredibly affectionate and loving. He gives much more sincere apologies than his sister ever has and always ends them with an impromptu hug. He is our snuggle bug.

Isaac, we sure do love you and all your quirks and sweetness!