Dear Oliver, on your 3rd birthday

Oh my sweet little Bubby. Your green eyes, those insane lashes and your cheesy smile make me MELT. Women are constantly swooning over your eyes. Since you were born. You are my little snuggle man. You would snuggle me and watch shows all day long if I let you. You are crazy for technology. You will find any computer, laptop, phone, radio - anything with buttons and/or a screen. At Discovery Gateway, instead of playing with all of the fun exhibits, you will literally spend the entire time on a little Ipad they have there. You will find and steal phones and hide and play on them.  This summer, you really bonded with Grandpa playing on his phone. You would snuggle up to him, put his phone on his belly and you two would have a blast playing Minefield. You wake up and ask for a show. Then you cry and cry when I say no. Every day. I make you and Nani take turns picking a show, and you will let me know the moment it is your turn to pick! And you cry and cry when I turn the TV off, or won't let you pick.

You are astounding with technology. It comes so naturally to you.

You are so stinking smart! You know your shapes, colors. You can identify all your letters and their sounds. You'll say "A. Ah, ah apple" And go through the alphabet. You can count to 20 and identify your numbers. When I pull out the flashcards, I get tired before you do. You could flash card all day. You LOVE to read! You love puzzles. You love your animals, cars, dinosaurs... You love bugs!! But your favorite is Halloween. You are still obsessed with Halloween. Ghosts, bats, witches, spiders... You are obsessed. It is so funny and so weird. Nani is obsessed too, but this is more your thing. If it wasn't for your intensity about it, I'm not sure how obsessed she would be. You constantly ask me when it will be Halloween again. And you'll say "it's not Halloween yet". And when something is AMAZING you compare it to "Halloween night". You'll loudly proclaim "it's like Halloween night!!" It is so funny.

You love your Grammy. You have always loved her more than anyone else. And you like to help her walk and hold her hand. You two have a special bond.

You  are such a Daddy's boy!! When he is home, you like him to get you out of your car seat.  You'll go through phases where it is Daddy everything. You love to roughhouse with him!

You love superheros!! You are constantly running around with your right fist in the air saving something. It is so funny and so cute!

You are so gentle and sweet. If I'm upset, you are upset. You are so loving and sweet.

You could sit there forever, watching a show, doing a puzzle, reading a book. You love to learn. You love to point at things and have me tell you what they are. You love to count things.

You are so sweet, my Oliver boy. Your hugs and kisses melt my heart. The way you just love to sit close to me, and 'shnuggle' is my happy place. I love when we hang out, and the stories you tell me. I love how when we sing "old McDonald had a Farm" you never pick farm animals, instead you pick ghosts, monster crabs, warewolfs, bats, kitten giraffes, shoes, rain and whole menagerie of other weird things.

You have such a funny sense of humor. You keep all of us laughing. I love you so much, my little man!

Love, Mommy