Three

My "baby" is three.

What?!

In the fall, he will be in preschool and next spring, I will start to look into kindergarten programs for him so the following spring, I know where I want to send him. How did we get here? Wasn't he just a baby? And now I am thinking about school and dentist appointments and sports camps?

At his three year well checkup yesterday, I was informed that he is 38lbs and 37 inches tall. I knew he was large, I just wasn't sure where the numbers were going to fall. Well, they fell off the chart for weight. To look at him you would never know he is "overweight" for his age - he just looks solid. Good thing it's summer! He will be outside way more now that the weather is nice and hopefully those extra pounds will just melt off during the next few months. In addition, we have to watch portion sizes of even the healthy foods. For example, we had already switched to skim milk and low fat yogurt for him months ago, but now I need to check the sugar content on the yogurt and give him string cheese instead of block cheese.

In a lot of ways, I feel like a failure, even though I know he's not fat per se. I also know that we feed him healthy foods. It's the winter that did him in ... and me being pregnant and not as active. I think that's why I feel guilty. I should've had him out more and running around, but I was so tired and sore (and the weather was so crappy), that I just let it be what it was. We went out here and there, he went to school, and Bill wrestled with him. And that was that. Parenting fail. With Drew's heart issues, it's very important that he live a healthy lifestyle. No extra weight around the mid-section putting pressure on his heart. Healthy eating habits. Love of exercise. All of these are important. I am hoping that this boot camp really does result in what I want most - a total transformation for me in the way I live my life. And if I have that transformation, it will be easy to extend it to the family. I wasn't completely unhealthy, but there was definitely LOTS of room for improvement. I need to lead by example. If I want Drew (and Emmett) to be active and eat right, then I need to show them the way. I owe it to them.

So, three-years-old looks like it will be the year Drew trades his goldfish crackers for strawberries. Wagon rides for walks to the park. The year I let him help me cook, so he can take pride in the food we eat and learn why it's good for us. Preschool and sports camps. Attitude and time outs. Smiles, giggles and goofing around. Swimming lessons and Kindermusik again. Sounds like a busy year!!

Happy Birthday, Drewbie!!!! Mommy loves you to the moon and back.