Dear Mason: 3 years

Dear Mason,
Oh my sweet Mason Porter, I cannot believe you are 3 years old!! As I sat down to write this it felt seriously just like yesterday that I told Daddy I needed to finish your blog before Liam got here. Each stage and age with you just seems to get more and more fun. This past year with you has just been the best!

You weigh 32.4 pounds (59th percentile) and are standing small at 35.25 inches (7th percentile) You've always been a short one, but you're pretty short and cute!! Your height reminds me so much of what my best friend's dad used to tell her: Great things come in small packages. And we think you're pretty great! Let's see, clothing is just a hodge podge for you little man! For pajamas you are right on that 2T/3T threshold. We've pretty much transitioned into 3T as the nights get warmer. For pants and shirts you're mostly 2T but your summer Tshirts are 3T so we are transitioning into those. You also got some 3T sweatshirts for next fall/winter that you are loving to go ahead and wear now, mainly because they are hooded and have pockets like Daddy's. Shorts are a whole different story my shorty boy!! I tried to put 3T shorts on you this week and they swallowed you whole! So I went and dug out the 24 moth shorts from last year and they fit you perfectly!
 
Your schedule hasn't really changed much since you were 2.
7/8:00- you generally start your day around this time, sometimes you will even sleep until 9ish.
Breakfast is hit or miss. We will offer you something when you wake up but you've never really bean a breakfast eater
11:00-lunch
12:00 Nap- I've tried to cut this back to about 1.5 hours, if I'd let you than you would nap 3-4 hours.
5:00- Dinner
Bath varies, sometimes you jump in with brother and other times you take a bath shortly before your own bedtime
8:00-books, prayers, bed

Bedtime has become a little more difficult. You take a while to wind down. We have dabbled in different things to make this go more smoothly but have yet to come up with a good solution. We took naptime away and let you have quiet time in your room but then you are super grumpy for the rest of the evening. We have cut your nap shorter but then you are incredibly grumpy when we wake you up for an hour or longer. We have also found if you are overtired you fall asleep quickly but you generally don't stay asleep. We are still trying to figure out the best fit for you in making bedtime work well. When Daddy is on a work trip you like to sneak out of your bed & into mine with me. Not going to lie, I LOVE IT!

  

You're still quite a picky eater. You really don't like things that are mush consistency. You've recently really started to branch out and eat new things. Your favorites right now are: Peanut butter sandwiches, yogurt, breakfast biscuits, granola bars, tacos, chili, apples, cantaloupe, cheese, grilled cheese, goldfish, pizza, pineapple, grapes & mac and cheese. We are getting you to actually try things that you might not like or have ever had before but you've always been a little bit of a pickier eater.

One of our biggest changes is you are potty trained! YAY!!! In December one morning I decided I was sick and tired of changing dirty diapers so I decided to go for it. You did better with a small potty. You're pretty consistently potty trained, but we still wear pullups when we leave the house just in case & you are not night trained. But that will come with development.

Last time I wrote your blog you were still teething but WE ARE DONE!!! (Just in time for brother to start getting his teeth) The past month you've been carrying around rocks & calling them your teeth. You will put them under your pillow for the "fang fairy" to come get them. Thank you Puppy Dog Pals for teaching us about the tooth fairy so young.

You have always been quite a talker & you have never really been short on words. That is still true to this day. You have a very large vocabulary that still sometimes surprises us. You are able to communicate everything that you need to us. There are still sometimes we struggle to understand certain things that you are asking for but you find a way to get through to us. You leave the s out of you s blends and I think it's the cutest thing ever. I know this is developmental so I'm just really enjoying the cuteness right now. Some of my favorite things you say that I want to never forget:
"Weeum"- Liam
"paprize"- surprise
"nuggle"- snuggle
"Witeming"- Lightening
"prentzels"- Pretzels
"nap it" snap it

One of the biggest changes that you have had over the last year is we said goodbye to sitters and Mama working. I have been getting to stay home with you full time and it has been the biggest blessing! I absolutely love getting to spend every single day with you! We've had some fun adventures, stepped out of our comfort zone & really gotten out and about and met people for playdates.

Staying home together has definitely shifted some things for you. You have always been the biggest Daddy's boy in the world! You still love your Daddy for sure! But you are definitely more of a Mama's boy. You are excited for Daddy to come home and to play with you or to take you to the garage. But for the most part you want your Mama. You love for us to snuggle or rock in the rocking chair together. And you are insistent that your Mama is the one to put you to bed every night.

Even though you are more of Mama's little guy you sure want nothing more than to be just like your Daddy. You do all things Daddy. You constantly pretend that you're off to work like Daddy kissing us goodbye and going to your truck. You even claim you work at Hilti. You wear a headlamp when you fix things just like Daddy does. You wear hats constantly like Daddy does, even insisting to wear his hats. Lately you've been claiming your hair is black just like your dads even though it's the farthest thing from it. You want nothing more than to be exactly like your Daddy and I couldn't think of a better man for you to be like.
    

You live life BIG! You have tons of energy and you  are an ON THE GO boy!! You don't slow down often, you like to constantly be moving, running, hopping, skipping, jumping, dancing, singing, whatever you can. You absolutely LOVE to dance and sing. Your favorite songs now are John Deere Green, Gangdum Style, Ghostbusters,, That Power, Get Low (clean version). You're quick to catch on to the lyrics of songs we listen to and love to proudly sing the words until we point out that we love your singing. If we're inside we can generally find you spinning circles in the living room or running circles around the house.

Although you don't slow down often, when you do you are a snuggly little man. You love to snuggle in Mama's bed or in the rocking chair with me. I absolutely love when you ask me to come "nuggle" you. Recently you've started to really love to be rocked in your bedroom in your glider. Generally you're the most snuggly when Liam has been demanding a lot of attention, you've just woken up or you're tired.
   
You love the outdoors still just as much if not more than ever! Since it has warmed up and the time has changed you really live outdoors from the time you get up until it's time to come in to get ready for bed. You love all things about it! The water, rain, mud, grass, sand, rocks, dirt, plants, leaves, all things nature. One of your favorite things is to go splash in mud puddles after a big rain. You also really love digging in my poor little Rose. If that little rose survives you and your brother it will be a miracle. You also have quite a rock collection from every single place we've ever been to that has rocks. If you spy a rock garden wherever we are you aren't leaving without one. You of course want to snag the biggest one you can find and I have to talk you down to just finding a small one.
  
You have developed a fierce love for your Daddy's Little Blue Truck. It's sweet actually, he has always loved it because it is the truck Poppy had when he was growing up and I think if it's possible, you love that little truck more than your Daddy does. You have begun referring to it as "your truck" and get very upset if your Daddy takes off with it without you. You 2 have had lots of fun with it this last year. You've taken many adventures on trails and spent many a night outside fixing it up. Your very favorite thing to do is check the oils and fix the wheels.


Speaking of fixing, you are a Mr. Fix It! You are OBSESSED with all things, construction, tools & fixing things. You have actually figured out how to use a screwdriver & wrench and you loved to tinker with or figure out how to fix things. If anything is broken you will give it your best shot on fixing it with or without Daddy.
  
Your favorite toys or interests right now are construction vehicles, trucks, cars, firetrucks, police officers legos, paw patrol toys, trains & stuffed animals. Your favorite shows are Blippi, Paw Patrol, Puppy Dog Pals, Mickey Mouse, Tayo, PJ Masks, Daniel Tiger, Fireman Sam & Little Baby Bum. We've put a movie on a couple of times but you just aren't interested in sitting still that long. While you have lots of shows you like, we really have cut out a lot of tv time from our day. I have noticed a big difference in you when we don't watch tv. You are much happier. We have started having designated short periods of screen time with the majority of the day we listen to music.

  

You my son, you have become the BEST big brother!! From the moment you met him in the hospital you were in love and his biggest protector! You refused to let anyone else come in and touch him if you were there because he was your baby. You've protected and looked after him ever since! If he is tired or hungry you are quick to tell me so! And generally you are correct about what he needs. You also will run and get him a pacifier or a toy if it isn't time to eat or sleep. You are very modest sometimes about how much you love little Liam but you love him BIG! I will sometimes catch you grabbing his little cheeks saying "awe you're such a good boy! you're so cute." or other sentiments like that. Lately as he has become more mobile in walking or crawling you are getting a little more frustrated with him as his favorite thing to do is take whatever he has and taunt you with it. We have had scuffles here and there, but it is getting better as time goes on. The love each of you have for each other is big & I pray that you always have such a good friendship. You were born to be a big brother, best friend & protector & have completely rocked the role since you took that title on.

    

I feel like I could write a novel on you this last year. You have grown up and learned so incredibly much. I could not be more proud of the little boy you are becoming. True to what I say in every letter, you live and love big Mason! You truly have shown me how to find the joy in even the littlest of things. You are energetic, fun, friendly & have the biggest heart. You love to learn, explore & play. I pray that we can continue to be the best parents for you that we can & I pray that you continue to live and love big. We love you Mason Porter Brown! And continue to just love you more and more with every passing day! I can't wait to see the exciting growth and development and the personality you develop over the next year!
Love,
Mommy (Daddy & Liam too)