superman turns three

The Firstborn turns 3 today and I'm so glad to be able dedicate some time to writing a post about him.

Brace yourself for some serious Jack overload...because there are so many things that I want to get down about him before I forget.

Oh, Jack.

Such a funny little creature.

From 2 to 3 has brought a new brother, more talking, less eating, new loves, funny quirks, growth, and maybe a few meltdowns.

To sum him up...

Jack knows what he likes and he likes what he knows.

Jack thrives on a routine, loves to know exactly what to expect, runs from change, and takes some serious coaxing to trust something new.

(wonder where he got that from...hmmm??)

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He is a sweet boy.

Hilarious, crazy, and kind.

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 He can be fickle, but I am almost always pleasantly surprised by how he rolls with the punches.

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Jack runs 95% of  the time,

and walks out of a room on his tippy toes with his nose in the air when he's in trouble.

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He insists on hiding whenever anyone enters our house,

and will stay there as long as it takes to be found.

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Jack wrote the book on picky eating.

Parents think they have picky eaters until they hear about Jack.

He easily drinks his weight in milk and juice everyday- but never eats breakfast- and alternates between the same 3 foods for lunch and dinner... Mac N' Cheese, Quesadillas, and Nuggets.

Over. And over.  And over.

(Don't judge me as a mother).

He lives and breathes Teddy Grahams.

He will only eat one brand of fruit snack (Sunbelt)...and throws out all oranges and strawberries (not cherries) after careful sight and smell inspection to ensure that the remaining flavors are just the right squishiness.

This kid has never tried ice cream.

Doesn't touch bread.

And would rather die than consider eating chocolate.

I probably need to have his head checked.

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Jack still loves to watch his shows, but he is also really good at playing.

He loves his toys-- but still prefers a ball to just about anything else.

He has 4 hoops up in his playroom at all times, and at least 65 balls.

He is really coordinated- and I'm pretty sure he's already surpassed me in this area!

This kid is active all day long-- running, jumping, tackling, shooting...you name it!

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Jack has recently made leaps and bounds in the talking area.  And although he has always been incredibly aware of his surroundings and able to comprehend everything we were talking about, we waited a while for him to turn the corner with his own speech.

He has an adorable little voice...a slight (and amazing) lisp, and his own little language that still creeps up:
 (gocoo= milk?   yankit = blanket   darshees= dinosaurs weeze= please   gokies= cookies). Everything with Jack comes with "guys"...."Sorry guys" "I'm coming guys!" "Bye-a guys!"

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As I have mentioned...in the past couple of months, Jack has developed an obsession with superheros.  He watches them.  Acts like them.  Dresses like them.

Among his favorites: Superman and Spiderman.

(undies over the pants is total on trend this season in superhero land)

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Jack still takes a nap.

I love him so much for this.

3 hours. Awwww.

I know, I'm spoiled.

He may go to bed at 10:00...but...

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Jack's friends consist of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

As you've probably noticed from previous posts...they are all his constant buddies.

He has stranger phobia...and these folks most certainly aren't strangers.
Jack responds better to Grandma Jackie than just about anyone else on Earth.

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Jack has far and away surpassed my expectations as a big brother.

I know people have babies much closer together than 34 months apart...but- in the scheme of things, they're both really still babies.

I'm still a baby.

But--Jack has matured so much with the arrival of Tucker.

He is so patient and understanding...and in Tucker's 2 months of life...Jack has never done anything but be totally sweet with him.  He holds him every night before bed- and helps him with his binky when he needs it.

I sure wish I could have had a glimpse of his reaction to the baby while I was pregnant, it would've spared me a lot of anxiety!

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Jack has hilarious expressions. He also is really into reinacting scenes from his movies.

My personal favorite is when Helen and Bob kiss on the Incredibles and Jack has to use me as Helen.

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Jack has so many funny little quirks, there is no way I could write them all.

One of my favorites:

Jack is a total hoarder.  Particularly when it comes time for bed. An example haul at nap/bedtime is a milk cup, all three blankies, a travel bottle of baby wash, a ring frisbee (he calls his Tron), and a child-size Ikea spatula. 

The best part is that if he ever gets out of bed...he has to carry every single item with him.

It's especially humorous in the middle of the night when he shows up at my bedside with his

 spatula!

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While Jack has inherited some of my quirks (tickling his raised arm in his sleep) , my hair and my skin ...in most ways- Jack is through-and-through a clone of his dad. Walks like him, has the same expressions, watches TV like him, and inspects things with the utmost attention just like his papa.

I can say, though, that Jack is pretty equally a mama's and a daddy's boy.

When he is hurt, scared, frustrated, in need of perfectly cooked macaroni, or he needs a translator... it's mom territory.

Needs someone to throw with, follow, make a mess with, brush teeth with, read with, or fall asleep with...dad's the man.

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Jack is definitely growing out of babyhood, and looks like a full blown boy.

  

While Tucker fulfills the role of bruiser in this family at the moment, Jack continues to grow--

amazing, considering that he rarely eats! 

His latest stats from the doctor:

Weight: 28 lbs (17%)

Height: 38 inches (59%)

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I'd say by just about all standards... Jack is a full blown legitimate three-year-old!

Predictably unpredictable.

And I love him like mad.