Happy Happy Day

The little boy that may as well have ripped my heart out and pumped it full of helium and happy gas turned three today.

Jude- when you crinkle your nose up like this:

Thats it- I'm a goner. It's done and over with. You can have anything you want. Anything. End of story.

At three years old, this is who you are:

- A lover of Dora the Explorer and all the show's characters. You know more Spanish than me because of it. You think the squirrels outside are Tico. I woke up one morning to find you staring at me. You asked:

"Mommy. Do you like Boots?"

"Yes Jude."

"Mommy. Do you like Isa?"

"Yes Jude."

"Mommy. Do you like Big Red Chicken?"

and on and on.  It was awesome.

- A curly headed monster. Sometimes, usually at the grocery store, the top of your head and those blond curls are all I can see while you throw a little mini tantrum face down on the floor. Yesterday it was over the stickers in the H.E.B Buddy Bucks machine. Sometimes its over the cereal you have coined "dog food" (i.e. Cracklin Oat Bran). By the way... when the pediatrician asks you what your favorite food is- don't tell her dog food again. It takes some explaining and she didn't really look like she believed me.

- Attached. Prying you off of me to send you to your first days of pre-school three weeks in a row was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. It stunk. Your teachers all said you did great once I was gone, which WAS a big relief. But the show you put on for me- phew!- it ate at my conscious for hours!

- Still sleeping in your crib. You like things cozy. Can't say I blame you.

- Linus-esque.  You probably don't know who Linus from the Peanuts gang is- but you are just like him with your blankie. You drag that woobie around like its nobody's business. The nighttime routine involves laying in the crib. Head on pillow. Cover with woobie. Insert soft part of woobie into mouth. Proceed to suck on it until you fall asleep.  The ultimate gift of sharing is when you ask me or Dad if we would like to suck on your woobie with you. And we always do.

- A little brother.  One day you will be able to hold your own against your three sisters. I keep telling them to leave you alone now, because revenge will happen eventually and one day you are going to grow up and date all their friends and they are going to hate it. Those girls are going to go crazy over your big blue eyes.

Happy Third Birthday Sweet Boy.

Jude's friend Jack was born about 24 hours before him- Jack was quite early and Jude was quite late. I remember visiting Jack's mom in the hospital, hugely pregnant and overdue with Jude... wearing a gray Bon Jovi Tshirt and black yoga pants (because -  although I have a hard time remembering to pick up milk at the grocery store, I can almost always remember what I wore to any event of significance in my life :-)).  I had bought two sets of newborn outfits- a boy set, and a girl set because I did not know what I was having. I was so sure I was having a girl, I gave the boy set to Jack's mom as a gift.  

We throw a joint birthday party for the two boys every year, which of course requires a photo shoot for their very special invitations.  Here are some pix of the boys and JackJack.