It wasn't that long ago that we were a bit worried about his speech development. Now, all of our worries about that are gone. Shortly after we had a visit from ECI and a Speech Pathologist, he had a major word explosion and has not slowed down. There is nothing he cannot say (except for the "g" sound). He talks almost constantly, asks questions about everything, has funny little sayings ("one thing do", "it-do-fits", "ah man, oh dear, bow wow", etc.) and makes his wishes known with ease. We are so thankful he didn't need any intervention and things are going smoothly now.
Samuel still very much is a mama's boy! Whenever mommy gets out of his sight, he almost always comes looking for me. He loves to find me and then say, "there you are! I couldn't find you anywhere!" If I've left to run an errand, he always welcomes me back home with a huge running hug and a "MOMMY!!!" He gives the most awesome hugs, has a beautiful smile, and has a very contagious laugh. He loves to be in mommy or daddy's lap the most and will often just push away whatever we're working on to be in the middle of our laps.
Samuel is quite the bookworm and really looks forward to our (mostly) weekly trips to the public library. He loved "Toddler Time" but we have recently started attending "Pre-school Storytime" instead and he's getting used to that too. His current favorites are The Berenstain Bears, Elephant & Piggie, Fly Guy, and Curious George. He wants to sit and read books several times a day! Samuel very easily picks up the words from books we have read and can often be heard retelling the stories verbatim to others or himself. He does the same with songs on the radio so I have to be careful what station I have the radio on in the car! He doesn't recognize many letters yet but does know "S" and occasionally "C". He knows all of his shapes and colors and says his favorite color is orange.
If Kyle or I ever need help, Sammy is our man! He loves being where we are and trying to copy us or help us with tasks. Most of the time he is very cooperative and tries hard to actually be a good helper! He loves to help with cooking, building, loading clothes into the washer and drying, carrying stuff, watering plants, unloading groceries, and occasionally picking up his playroom.
Samuel is now 42 pounds and very tall for his age as well. He wears a size 11 shoe and mostly size 4T clothing. People always think he is older than he really is because he's so big! Thankfully our car seat goes up to 45 lbs rear-facing so he is still in that safest position for a few more pounds! Right before he turned 3 we ditched the booster seat at the dinner table and he does great sitting in a regular chair. We recently have also given up all sippy cups for regular cups and that has been going well also! Samuel potty trained very easily last summer in June/July and has only had a handful of accidents since then. He still prefers to poop in his diaper at naptime or first thing in the morning but will go in the toilet if he is up when he has to go. Samuel is still in his crib but has never even tried to climb out and sleeps all night so we figure we'll just let him be until he tells us he's ready for something different. Why mess with a good thing?! :) Can't believe how fast our little guy is growing up!
Being with friends is another favorite of Sammy's! He loves our "Toddler Playdates" we do twice a month with a group of friends as well as our small group nights. His favorite friends he talks about most often are Ryan, Ethan, Elise, Jayden, Cody, Ellie, and Reagan. He also just loves hanging with me most days as well as we run errands to the store, go to the park, or do whatever else needs to be done that day. I will miss my days with him soooo much when he starts Pre-K. Thankfully with him being a younger kiddo in his class year, I'll have a bit of extra time at home with him!!
A few times lately we have gone camping as a family and he REALLY loves being outdoors and camping in the tent! He has done great most nights, especially if his sleeping bag is right up next to mine! He is a real trooper on hikes and doesn't complain about being dirty or hot!
While Samuel certainly has his "three-nager" moments, he is mostly a cuddly, fun, sensitive sweetheart. He knows just how to melt my heart and has Daddy wrapped around his finger. While he says he doesn't like his brother, the way he looks at Caleb and follows him around says otherwise. He loves babies and would be an awesome big brother. When we lost our 3rd baby in December, we didn't really expect him to understand what was happening. However, he burst into tears at the news and asks often about when we can have another baby. He still talks about that baby but knows that that baby was sick and went to be with Jesus in heaven. We'll keep praying and see what God has planned for our family.
Samuel, we just love you so very much. You bring so much joy into our lives! We are so thankful to be your parents and to have the privilege of watching you grow up. We pray that God continues to hold you in the palm of His hand and guide your life. Love you Sammer Jammer!
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