THREE.

On Friday we celebrated the birthday of our baby boy, now our big boy.  All morning I kept looking at the clock, remembering what was happening at that time three years ago on the Labor & Delivery floor at St. David's hospital in Austin, Texas. And then - in the scurry and craziness of lunch time with a toddler and infant - I missed the big moment - 1:02 p.m.

It didn't matter, though, we spent that whole day and the whole weekend having fun with the birthday boy.

The festivities started on Thursday, the day before 11/9, when we got to take a birthday snack to preschool. We made special eggless sugar cookies that William can eat (and luckily, loves) for snack, and little bags with other treats in them for his friends to take home. He helped Daddy and I put them together the night before and was very proud to take them to school.

We also had his (first ever!) parent-teacher conference that day, and it was great. We're so proud of him (especially when Miss Nichelle said that he has the best manners in the class and is always saying please and "kank you").

Friday morning, on his real birthday, Esch, Gwennie and I all waited in the hallway outside his room. The night before we'd hung a bunch of balloons down from the ceiling so they'd be right at his level when he walked out. When we opened the door for him, we sang "Happy Birthday" and he was so cute and tickled about the balloons. Love how easily impressed and entertained a toddler can be!

Esch came home a little early that day and we went to the park (it also happened to be nice and warm out - almost 60) for some 3rd birthday photos. I didn't want to harass the poor guy too much, so while there aren't any perfect ones, they are very much "him" at this age and I love them.

 I think that this one (above) is one of my favorites ever of him. It's really hard lately to get a natural smile from him when the camera's out - he is a typical silly (either pouting and being generally uncooperative, or going the opposite route and making overexaggerated, crazy faces) three year old boy. This is how I'll remember this age, though. And of course the funny outtakes are always keepers, too, and will make for happy memories.

William Wesley at three loves: pizza, chicken nuggets (and dipping EVERYTHING in ketchup and mustard, which in his little dialect is "mustunn"), lima beans, blueberries, strawberries, quesadillas, and rice. He adores the cute shows "Busytown Mysteries" (Richard Scarry book-based), "Go Diego Go" and "Super Why." He has been in major make-believe phase in which he pretends that he IS some of these characters. The latest and longest-lasting personality has been Huckle Cat from Busytown. 

He LOVES Huckle, and tells everyone that that's his name (including everyone at school, and the Dr. today at his 3 year well visit. I was so embarassed! He would NOT tell her his real name, and she even asked me if he knew what it was - haha!). In fact, the Busytown infatuation and play doesn't end with himself - he has given all of us names from the books and show, too. Georgia is "Sergeant Murphy," Daddy is "Lowly the Worm" (but when Pop Pop is here, HE is Lowly... it's a very complicated system, you see). I am "Sally" - Huckle's sister. He calls baby Gwen "Goldbug" - and when Gula is here, she is also sometimes known by this name. Nanna and Grandpa might take the cake with the funniest ones - "Pig Will" and "Pig Won't" - it cracks us up! He almost never calls anyone by their real names any more. In the morning, he calls from his bedroom, "Lowly, come in. Lowly, I need to pee. Lowly, I want to wake up!" and during the day will sometimes suddenly stop playing, look at me, and say, "I love you, Sally." He's taken this little world so far that at his school conference, when we brought Gwen with us, his teacher said, "This must be Goldbug!"

He can carry on a conversation like an adult, but with many more pauses to ask "Why?" and lots of cute mispronunciations. People always think he's 4 because he's tall for his age and speaks so well. Behavior-wise he's right on target, sometimes demonstrating his "terrible threes" - but apparently only for his family - at school his teachers say he is a good boy.

Physically, he weighs 33 pounds (64th percentile) and is in the 80th for height. He's jumping, climbing, and always on the move. He goes to bed at 7:00 and usually sleeps until 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. Every once in a while he'll wake up in the middle of the night calling out that he has to go to the bathroom - he's been potty trained since May and is doing well, but has had a few accidents since Gwen arrived. Probably an attention thing - lucky us!

He's big on routines - in the morning, he has to give Esch high fives, low fives, and sometimes throws in a "long distance five" for good measure, and if we forget to do this, there can be an epic meltdown complete with my chasing Esch back in from outside to come give more fives until William is satisfied. At nap and bedtime, he has to have his little gang with him - Stuffed Georgia, Stuffed Tyson, two other little dogs named Bones and Fetch, a robin, a big red Clifford, AND his very special William blanket and "ra-ra" which he's had since he was a baby (it's a soft baby blue blanket with Winnie the Pooh, who he referred to with a "rrrrr" of a growl to signify the bear when he was little). All of these things MUST be in his bed, but he doesn't actually sleep with any of them besides the ra-ra. Everything else just stays arranged at the foot of the bed - there in case he needs them, I guess. 

William is a cuddly guy - he loves to snuggle up to Esch or I when we read to him, and gives lots of hugs (and now cute little kisses to Gwen). As is probably unavoidable as a boy, he is starting to like to play with swords, etc., which he learned from a slightly older (and therefore, obviously, VERY cool) friend, and is getting into Star Wars and Transformers with some encouragement from his Daddy. Even though he sometimes plays that things are "battling," or chases Georgia with a toy tool that he's pretending is a "cannon" or a "light sabre," he is also still very sweet and little-boyish. He makes cute little voices for his toys when he plays by himself and has an imagination that makes us laugh every day. He "camps" under the dining room table, shrieks in mock terror/delight when the doorbell rings, and immediately hides from whomever is coming into the house, ready for them to find him.

We love you to death, little William. You seem so grown up sometimes, and it makes me a bit weepy to think how fast the time has gone, but it's our pleasure to watch you grow and change, and we're still rewarded with glimpses of the innocent baby in you - both Daddy and I peek into your room at night before we go to bed, pull your ra-ra up over you, and marvel at how sweet you are in your sleep. You're just as sweet when you're wide awake and rambunctious. Happy third birthday, Huckle!