Joshua is 3!

Three years ago today I woke up around 7am with a few contractions. It was a Thursday, Johns day off. We stayed in bed for a while and watched TV. The contractions continued. We then decided to go on a walk and see what would happen. We definitely walked too far - 2 1/2 hours! I was dyeing at the end and the contractions kept coming. We got home and debated as to whether we should call the doctor or cut Johns hair (he really needed a hair cut). We ended up calling the doctor. I ate goldfish the whole way to the hospital (about 2 miles from our then condo) because I knew that I wouldn't get anything more to eat. We were at the hospital and in our room by about noon. I have no idea how far dilated I was at that point, but I was far enough that Dr. Clayton came into the room, broke my water, and said I could get my epidural anytime I wanted. I got it right away - and labor was easy. I had visits from my family, Lori, and Joanna. When I was 8 centimeters we called my family and Joanna to come to the hospital. They arrived around 10pm. Dr. Clayton said - "20 minutes and we should have a baby" - as he passed my parents in the hall. A couple of minutes before midnight, Joshua was finally born with the biggest cone head you could imagine! I have to give you a visual image of that!

Redge and Tanner said he looked like an alien. That head lasted him a good 6 weeks. It went down, but it was still there. I guess that's what happens after over 2 hours of pushing! (Luke was under 10 minutes by the way.)

It is so hard to remember Joshua as a baby, and I'm so glad I have lots of pictures and movies. I want to write down some things about Joshua right now, so that I can always look back and remember him as a new 3 year old.

First his words. Joshua, as I've said before, has the most amazing vocabulary and talks non-stop. I honestly speak to him as though he were a 10 year old, and sometimes expect him to act so. So it's rare when he says something incorrectly. But here are some of them.

"Joshua, we're going to Nana's house today." "Wind?"

Joshua loves to hide... "Mommy, quick, Daddy's coming, let's hige." "Joshua it's hiDe, hiDe." "HiDA?"

The past tense is "last week". "Last week we went to the snow."(2 months ago) "Last week I went pee-pee in my pants"(probably accurate). "Last week I ate my breakfast all gone." (one hour ago)

And that's it - those are them, I think they are hilarious.

Joshua

Cannot go to bed without: hugs, loves, kisses, a prayer, and saying "I love you as big as the ocean." and "I love you with all my heart."

Always wants to call people on the phone.

Has recently become afraid of monsters.

Sings with the congregation while holding a hymn book at church.

Knows what street everything is on - his house, grammie and nana's house, italian class, his preschool he'll attend in September, Angels stadium, Cosco, Target, etc. He knows them all. And hearing him say "Irvine Boulevard" cracks me up!

At the end of every phone conversation Joshua rambles off everything that is going on in our house - and then some. "We're at home, I've got my sippy cup, Lukey is crying, men are working on our pool, we're at home, bye bye."

He still LOVES the backyardigans. Loves to dance and loves to sing.

Every time we are in public and I tell him if he doesn't stop something he's going to get a time out he ALWAYS responds with "where?". It drives me nuts!