Liam's Well Visit - 3 Years

Liam had his well visit yesterday to mark his third year....Wow!!! We can't believe he is going to be three years old next month...just amazing!

He had a great visit with his new doctor, Dr. Riebel. Liam felt very comfortable with her as did Mommy. He's always a good patient allowing the doctor to check him thoroughly from his eyes and nose to his little toes.

Dr. Riebel suggested starting him on a daily vitamin that was not a gummy style vitamin which she says only supplies half the nutritional need and isn't good for the teeth. She also suggested switching to skim or 1 % milk. Liam's always liked milk and never seemed to mind skim on past occasions...I don't anticipate the switch being an issue. Since Liam's been struggling with allergies over the past year, she also suggested trying Children's Claritin (she likes Claritin as it's non-drowsy and a chewable tablet). She agrees with us in using vapor rub and a vaporizer as needed. We struggle with the concept of giving him medicine every day vs. the pain and uncomfortablies...we've decided to try it and see how it works for him. She is happy to hear we already scheduled Liam's first dentist appointment and recommended we schedule an eye appointment over the next year with an opthamologist not an optometrist. She agreed that Liam's minor texture aversions, transition issues and attention needs still fall within his age of development. She said that he was very fortunate to have both his parents in the same household which in itself is a positive thing for his growth and development.

Liam is a very typical three year old. He is a very happy, active, affectionate and enjoyable little guy. He is 34 pounds and 37 1/4 inches which places him in the 75th percentile for both weight and height. His speech has blossomed over the past couple months and he has entered the why/how stage which includes anything from pictures in books to vehicle exhaust pipes! His speech reception is just as excellent which means Mommy and Daddy try very hard to be careful of what we say - he hears all!

His cognitive skills have always been spot on and continue to blossom. He loves playing thinking games like "I'm thinking of an animal that has...". He's very good at the game and has started taking a turn describing an animal for us to guess.

It is so tender to watch your small child express concern for others - adults and children alike. Liam is very quick to comfort a friend experiencing an ouchy. He will caress their back or pat their head saying "My sorry", "You otay?", "My kiss it" or "Uh, uh, uh, Be careful". He is very outgoing and is always first to say hello and initiate play. He has recently started introducing himself to others patting his chest and calling himself "Yiam". He enjoys using his manners and will shake other's hands saying "It's nice to meet you".

Liam has always had strong fine and gross motor skills and enjoys making wonderful masterpieces but only when in the mood. It's been tricky finding the right moments to take advantage of his creative side. Luckily he also enjoys puzzles and push buttons which continue to work those little fingers. He is so active and loves to play outside - summer or winter. He runs, jumps and climbs whenever possible. We've been trying to encourage him to ride his tricycle which is not his favorite thing to do. He needs improvement on his pedaling/steering skills which will get better as his interest in riding increases.

Liam is not big on playing dress up but he does enjoy role playing. He has a great imagination and will go from being a boy to a lion to a mommy or daddy in a flash. He enjoys playing daddy with his babies whose names have recently changed from Ollie and Baby to Baby and Brother. Gandma found a great shopping cart at Sally's Boutique so his babies spend a lot of time riding in his new cart. Liam really enjoys small spaces and likes to hide inside and under most anything from blankets, boxes, closets, etc.

Liam goes to pre-school for about four hours two days a week. He likes school and has started talking more about his teachers, friends and activities when he comes home each day. His teacher, Ms. Kelley, is currently working with his class of six on ABC's and 123's. They have been focusing on one or two letters each day from their alphabet and number train. He also gets to enjoy music and chapel once a week as well as a visit from the local librarian once a month. This month, his class celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with a "Wear your PJs to school day" and will have fun with "Beach Week" next week which is the week before spring break. By Fridays, Liam is one tired little fellow.

It is so exhilarating to see Liam achieve each new milestone with every developmental stage. We trial and error most everything to help him achieve whatever it is that he is learning. Since he struggles with transitions, we have found in addition to talking about the upcoming change (leaving the house, getting ready to eat at the table, going upstairs for bath/bed, coming in from outside, etc.) setting a timer assists him in adjusting his focus accordingly. When needed, he responds well to time out and losing privileges. Disciplining is never fun for Mommy, Daddy or Liam but is as necessary as the love we provide...it's much easier to show love, I admit.

We thank God each day for our son. Liam is such a blessing to our lives and we appreciate him and his gift of life. He is such an important member of our family teaching us as much as we teach him. We value him so and pray that we continue to be models of love to him showing him the importance of family and faith. An older gentleman was sitting next to Billy at mass last weekend. He leaned over to tell Billy how he thought Liam had been raised well. It's amazing how good a comment like that can make you feel...even if he was bias from the kisses Liam was blowing!

Liam, we love you so much and look forward to all of your three year old adventures!!!