3 Years

Jon and I keep reminding ourselves that we now have a three year old. I feel like this year has gone by faster than the previous two and although he has changed significantly it just isn't registering. Reed is such a special kid. He's wise beyond his years, handles his allergy limitations so well, and communicates better than most his age. He has a hard time staying focused, but rarely does he actually need discipline (the threat of losing a toy and subsequent counting to 3 usually does the trick). He doesn't like to be caught off guard so we are very straight forward with him. Even if it's a hard situation we try to be as truthful as possible and he usually takes it in stride. He's not going to be our daredevil, he's definitely on the safe side and most of his injuries occur from getting too carried away dancing!!! He loves learning and oh, did I mention, we love this Little Monkey to pieces?

I've already done a recap of Reed's Birthday party and I will be doing a quick "Reed Says" so here are just a few statistics I thought we might want to look back on someday.

Interesting Facts

Weight: 32 lbs

Height: 38.25in

Clothing Size:  3T tops and pajamas, even though I'll still squeeze him into a few 2T things here and there. Pants are mainly 3T because of the length but he is easily thin enough to wear 2T, for that same reason most of his shorts are 2T.

Shoe Size: 8.5

 

Reed likes: Puzzles, books, and his nightly TV show (favorites are Super Why, Winnie the Pooh, Shaun the Sheep, and The Magic School Bus). He loves working on craft projects, playing with his "babies" (stuffed animals), and doing anything outside especially digging, raking, or anything with water. He is still obsessed with all things cowboy but also likes Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avengers even though he's never seen a movie/show with any of them. He loves playing with Mom and Dad's shoes, washing cars with Dad, and baking with Mom. He also likes teaching Kieran things and getting into mischief with his brother.

 

Reed dislikes: Being told to try to go potty, taking Dodger for walks most days, sharing attention with Kieran, and being told what to do.

 

Nicknames: Reedster, Reedcito, Buddy, Monkey, Reed-man,  Dingle Berry Jones/Dingle, Darlin', Reeder, and Baby Bear.

Food: His favorites remain the same - pasta, bagels, all kinds of meat and fish, and pretty much every fruit imaginable. He also loves when we make pizza, pancakes, or any dessert. He is picky about vegetables, but I continue to put them on his plate and now require him to take at least one bite before he leaves the table. He really dislikes beans as well. We have discovered he loves sea food (shrimp and lobster have been huge hits) but unfortunately we found out he has an almond allergy so at this point all tree nuts are also on our (very long) do not eat list.

Communication: First off the kid never stops talking!!! He has entered a big "why" stage so we are constantly being barraged with questions about everything. Reed also likes telling and making up jokes. He knows his ABCs and can usually identify what sound a letter makes or what letter a word starts with based on its sound. The Monkey is really good at rhyming and has been making up words as well which can be pretty entertaining.

Favorite Color(s): Blue and Green
 

How Reed is sleeping:  He goes to bed around 8:00pm and has been making it to around 6:00am most mornings. He sleeps in a twin bed, with a night light and sound machine as well as Pup, 2 Soft Sheeps, and 2 quilts. After we have read our 3 books for the evening and said goodnight he spends another 30 minutes or so "reading" books in bed before falling asleep. He still takes a nap in the afternoon, going down around 1:00/1:30 and sleeping for about 2.5 hours.

 

Milestones over the last six months:

He started making up his own words, songs, and jokes

Reed started sitting in a regular chair at the kitchen table

The Monkey uses a special kid friendly knife to help with kitchen prep

Reed-man can sometimes put clothes on by himself and can get most clothing off with out assistance if asked to

He is pretty close to being officially potty trained