Brady and Ian at 3 years

The boys had their 3-year checkup this morning. They were both scared about going to the doctor - so scared that they wanted their Daddy to go with them. Ian wound up doing really well but Brady was terrified. They got two shots and a clean bill of health. I am still amazed at how much they've grown: Ian is 39 1/2 inches tall (85th percentile) and 35 pounds (81st percentile). Brady is 38 3/4 inches tall (72nd percentile) and 31 pounds (44th percentile).

Here's a look at what the boys are up to at age 3:

• In their eyes, they grew up overnight! Before Ian even left his room the morning he turned 3, he said, "When we were 2, we were little." It seems like every day one of them starts a sentence by saying, "When we were little, we used to..." (and often, they're talking about things that they did a couple of months or even weeks ago).

• They still have a big love of books. It seems like we're starting our own library since we have so many books! We read for at least half an hour a day, and sometimes as much as an hour and a half. No matter how long we've been reading, the boys always ask to read just one more book. They're starting to enjoy longer books with less pictures and more words. Their attention spans and their comprehension of the stories are amazing. Quite often, I hear them acting out stories they've read, and they remember all of the details too!

• They know all of their numbers and most of their letters. They can count up to 12 on a regular basis and sometimes count as high as 15. They can also spell their names and simple words like cat and dog.
  

• For quite a while, the boys' favorite toys to play with have been their Legos. They usually head straight for the Legos when they come downstairs in the mornings. They are very creative and like to build things like fire stations, houses, and car washes.
  

This is a car wash they built with some help from Jeremy.
Here is a view of the inside.

A few days ago, Brady got in the bin and Ian covered him up with Legos. They said it was a bubble bath.

• They are still very fond of their stuffed animals. Often, we go into their room in the morning to find that they've done something like this:
  

Or this: (They said this was a van.)

• They love their sister so much! They show such affection and concern for her. One morning we came downstairs and Leah was still in her crib. When we got downstairs, Brady looked upstairs and said, "Leah, are you OK up there all by yourself?" In the mornings, they like to choose which outfit she will wear that day. They love to hold her and love on her. One day as Ian was nuzzling Leah's face, I said, "I'm glad you love her so much." Ian looked up at me and said, "Like I love you."