My almost 3-year old!!

OK, so as a parent I'm perfectly entitled to brag. I do have the cutest boy ever as my own flesh and blood. I know you'd all say that, at least I hope you do. Today as I was taking little bug-a-boo to bed, I overheard little J happily sitting on the couch reading himself "Driving Buddies", which is a book about his favorite movie, "Cars". He was 'reading' his first book! He later read me the book after Bug was asleep and he used many of the phrases exactly and said them so confidently. This, to me is so fun and amazing for a kid of any age but with little J my heart absolutely melted because if you knew him a year ago he couldn't even say 'Mama'--it was 'ama'--and I could count on one hand the number of words he said. And now he's reading books! What a transformation that has taken place!! While we're on the subject his birthday is coming up quite soon so I'll mention a few of his 2nd year triumphs. He has learned SO many new things: learning to talk was definitely the biggest accomplishment (though he still needs to get some sounds) he can now sing his ABC's and has learned about half the alphabet by sight and knows number to 9 by sight and all his colors, he can count to 20 or so by himself and to 10 in Spanish (getting that from B too), he has also learned a number of words and phrases in Spanish and Russian, he was 'swimming' by himself by the end of the summer in a life jacket, and can now turn pedals on a bike/trike, he can do sommersaults, cartwheels, a pike sit-stand on the trampoline and a number of other gymnastics moves, has been fully potty trained for about two months now--even at night!!, has learned a number of songs and nursery rhymes by heart ("Hey diddle diddle" being his favorite rhyme), has learned to pray, loves to play games and is quite good at them, loves trains and planes and automobiles (not the movie, the real deal), loves to talk to his Daddy half-way around the world and send emoticons via computer, loves to tackle and run and swing and throw and shoot baskets and do all the things boys LOVE to do yet pink is one of his favorite colors along with green and yellow, he enjoys quiet times to himself and entertains himself quite well, is an excellent hiker and has also made it up to the top of a climbing route, he loves to help me cook and bake and clean--from dishes to laundry to bathrooms to collecting leaves to vacuuming, and I could go on and on. He is everything we hoped he would be and much much more. All this and he has numerous allergies and asthma and puts up with it like a champ that most adults couldn't or won't do (at least that's what a nurse at our most recent asthma-induced ER visit told another nurse). We just adore our little Bear!! (Birthday pics to come as celebrations come under way.)