Leonard Life: Last day of 3's..

Last week marked the last week of 3's preschool for Mr. Zach. What a year! After going back and forth about whether or not to send him- I think we made the best decision. He was one of the youngest in his class, but really took off this year and has grown up so much. Zach, for the most part has seriously been the most enjoyable, likable, sweet-heart of a 3 year old. He has the kindest heart, gets along with everyone.. and pretty much doesn't have a mean bone in his little body. :) He is the child I have had to discipline the least. Sure, he fights with his sister's like any normal child does, but he also gives in to his older sister, adores her and would do anything to make her happy. Zach STILL laughs quickly, smiles easily and climbs like a little monkey. These are all traits he has had since he was about 7 months old. Gone for the most part is the over-sensitivity that he had as an infant and he is just such a joy to us. If you can't tell... total Mama's boy! :) It breaks my heart to even think of him going to school more often because I honestly love having him around.

In other news... Zach has had some difficulty with his growth for the past year, and it has been on the forefront of my mind. We have seen a pediatric endocrinologist, and we are just at the monitoring stage of things right now. As you can see in the picture below, he is a tiny little guy. He is not much bigger than he was when he turned 2... and he is the smallest in his class. I am constantly stuffing him with calories, and his eating has improved dramatically.. but no matter how much he eats, he doesn't seem to be growing much. The Dr's have been encouraging, and we know we are doing everything we need to do for now. It is basically a waiting game to see if he is just a late bloomer, has genetic short stature, or a more serious issue like Growth Hormone Deficiency. No matter what, we love him.. we are focusing on God having a perfect plan for him, and that God knows exactly who Zach was meant to be. Does this mean, I don't struggle with worry? Nope.. I still do, but God and I are working on it. :)

Academically & developmentally Zach has really grown this year. He can write his name, sing his ABC's, count, cut with scissors, he can point out to you about 15 of his letters, and most of his numbers with the exception of 6 and 9 where he still gets confused. He likes to dance, to sing, to kick balls, to ride his tricycle and to climb everything as previously stated. :) We have been working pretty hard all year at getting dressed. He can now get his clothes on... but still gets confused on what direction they go sometimes. His speech has also come a long way!! I have had him evaluated 3 times in this past 18 months, and each time they told me he didn't qualify which was pretty discouraging to me. When this year started, I would say people were still really struggling to understand a lot of what he was saying and by the end of this year he is talking away and understandable to us all of the time. He still struggles when he is nervous, excited, or an unfamiliar setting.. but again we have seen huge improvement.

Dear Zach,
I love you beyond words. Just writing to you makes me tear up. You have such a special place in my heart. You will always be my baby boy, and I love the tender-hearted child that you are. I hope you never lose your ability to laugh and smile at everything. I am praying that God will continue to grow you up, and that will make you a strong man who will lead his home & family someday. I pray you will be a great example for your friends, and that God will use your strengths and weaknesses for his glory. I hope you will never be too big to give me one of your great big BEAR hugs. I love watching you grow and change. You have taught me patience, worry & how to REALLY trust in God's timing. I'm so thankful he made you mine.

Love Always, Mommy