Jacob is 3!!!

Has it really been 3 years since we met this little guy?

Jacob at 1 month old

3 years old - oh yeah, still rocking the pictures with the elephant

The day before Jacob's birthday was when we found out that he was being admitted into the preschool program.  That was the best birthday present, even though we are pretty sure Jacob has no idea what we are saying when we tell him that he will be starting school.

I started telling Jacob a couple weeks before his birthday that his birthday was coming up.  I wasn't sure if he had any idea what I was saying to him.  But even though I wasn't sure if he understood what day it was, I wanted to make it special for him.

Lately he has really liked seeing things with Elmo on them, so when I saw some Elmo cupcakes on Pinterest I knew that I would be making them for him.  I have to say that I was pretty impressed with myself - I think they actually turned out super cute and not just a poor attempt to copy someone else.

I threw in some Cookie Monster cupcakes too that I saw the same person had done

Elmo close-up

I bought a couple packages of balloons so that I could blow them up and put them all over the floor in his room after he had gone to bed the night before.  I also bought some streamers that I cut strips about the length of his door and taped them to the top of the door frame so he would walk through them as he came out of his room.  I actually saw on Pinterest where you tape the streamers across the door and they "break" out of room but we thought that Jacob may be confused by that.

Playing with the balloons after we brought them downstairs

Gathering his balloons all in one place

I think he did understand that his birthday was a special day, which would be why he woke up EXTRA early and went downstairs.  I was hoping to see him come out of his room that morning, but when I woke at 5:15am he was laying on the bottom stair, looking at his Elmo "Happy Birthday" banner and laughing.

A game he started playing later that day of throw the balloons over the banner

We had some friends over in the afternoon to enjoy cupcakes with us, but although Jacob liked to see his cupcakes and wanted, not only an Elmo cupcake, but a Cookie Monster one as well - he didn't eat either and only played with them a little.  I knew that our oldest child doesn't like frosting, but had thought the Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcakes could get him to at least try it.  No dice.

Investigating this Elmo cupcake

We waited to open presents until Daddy got home from work, which was super late for a 3 year who had woken up before 5:15am and hadn't taken a nap.  He got some Mater pajamas, an alphabet puzzle and a bowling set from Mommy and Daddy and seemed to like them all.

Actually doing some of the work to open presents

 

Mater Pajamas

Alphabet puzzle

Bowling Set

Must break open the bowling set NOW!!

Actually, it isn't enough to just open it he must also use it

We also gave him another cupcake with a candle and although he understands the concept of blowing out a candle, all he wanted to do with his candle is touch it, which means he had a little burnt finger.

Notice the bowling pin had to come to the table as well

Needed Daddy to help blow out the candle

Showing Grandma Mac his little burnt finger

Reading a birthday card while bowling

At 3 years old Jacob can:

Count to 10 and recognize the numbers when he sees them

Recognize different words if he sees them somewhere but mainly body parts and various animals

Say "please" for anything he wants (and he says it so cute)

Be a basketball pro and as long as the hoop isn't too high, he rarely misses a shot

Play with cars and trains as intended (before he used to just throw them)

Tell us when he doesn't want something instead of just throwing a fit (this is a BIG deal)

Unbolt the backdoor (oh no!!!)

Scale the kitchen counters to get whatever he wants (yeah, I now have a gate to keep children out of my kitchen)

Get out of bed and out of his room on his own

Jacob likes:

Helping in the kitchen, especially adding salt to mashed potatoes

Having lights turned on

Elmo, Thomas the Train and Cars (Lightening McQueen and Mater mostly)

Little dogs - both live and plush

Getting water from the door of the fridge and just playing with water in general

Playing with spice containers

Playing Angry Birds

Going for walks with the stroller

Jacob doesn't like:

Not being able to play Angry Birds

Fruits and vegetables of all varieties

Anything of a creamy texture except yogurt

His brothers to get too close to him, or touch him, or touch something he has

When a show he is watching ends

Not being able to "help" in the kitchen