{three}

My sweetest Foster,

I cannot even believe that you are three years old. It seems like just yesterday that you were just over six pounds and so fragile and tiny. I will never forget how scary it was having you at home with us the first night. I thought that we needed to have someone awake watching you all night because of your rough start with breathing. I still lay in your bed next to you and worry about your breathing when you sleep, I guess some things ever change.

You are my very best friend. I could never have imagined the amount of love that you would show me. The age that you are at now is such a loving and joyous age. You will crawl across the couch just to hug my arm and say "I Yuv You, Momma!". It melts my heart every time. I always tell you that I love you and you are my best friend. I often wonder when you will really be able to understand how much I really love you. You refuse to go to bed or let me leave for work without a hug and kiss and saying goodbye to me. I never get tired of this. I would accept 20 goodbye kisses if you wanted to give them to me! The look on your face when you walk in the door from school and you see me home fills my heart with so much happiness. It is the light in your eyes that shows me just how much you love your momma.

You are such a smart boy! The things that you pick up on and learn with ease amaze me. You count and you recognize "F for Foster" and you like to shows the numbers on your fingers. You learn new words every day and there is nothing that you cannot say if you try. Sometimes you will say something that flat out shocks me and I think to myself "Where did he ever learn that?". I cannot wait to continue to watch you learn and discover all that this amazing world has to offer. Sometimes people will ask me what I think you will be when you grow up and the truth is that I have no clue. You are so smart that I think you can be anything that you want to be. I am excited to see where your mind takes you.

You are getting ready to move up to the preschool room at Oxford, I don't know how this happened so quickly. I still call you my baby and I tell you that you are my baby and always will be. You smile and you let me say this without arguing with me. I sometimes scoop you up and hold you like a baby and you just let me. I think that in your heart you know that momma needs it.

Watching you grow and being your mommy has been the greatest gift that I have ever had. I consider you my greatest accomplishment and you make me so proud each and every day.

Always remember... wherever you go my love will find you <3

For the love of reading...

One of my favorite activities to do with Foster is read. It is something that I started from the day he was born. I used to sit up in his room in his rocker with him and read to him every night even though he had no clue what I was saying. I have always wanted to instill a love of bedtime stories in him. This is something that I think we have been successful with. He never goes to bed without books and he always begs "MORE BOOKS MAMA!". We usually read 3 each night.

During the day he enjoys a different type of book. He likes the kind of books with tons of pictures that he can name and point out. Books like "Animals" then it will have pictures and names of tons. He enjoys these interactive ones for daytime play. He amazes me with his knowledge.

I think that reading is something that is so important to start kids on young, if you teach them to enjoy reading they can learn so much from it. I was never a young adult who enjoyed reading for fun, I regret that. I read all the time now and it is my favorite thing to do with my free time (or my moments in between busy moments). I am going to figure out how to make Foster a lover of reading through all his ages and phases if it's the last thing I do!

I thought I would share some of our favorite books with you in case you are looking for recommendations:

Foster's Favorite Bedtime Books-



Foster's Favorite Interactive Learning Books-

For us mommas I am going to link a few awesome books I have read lately-