1. He’s a fabulous nose blower. Granted, he’s had a lot of snot to practice on recently, but he really leans into it and gives it his all. Rose still refuses to blow most of the time and drives me crazy dabbing at the drips.

2. A couple of his teeth look a little chipped. They are also a bit discolored and crooked. The dentist already warned me he’s a prime candidate for braces.

3. He has an insatiable sweet tooth, kind of like his mommy. John and David baked cupcakes for his birthday party tomorrow. David spend the next several hours whining for a cupcake.

4. He likes wearing boy clothes. David’s favorite shirt these days is Spiderman with webbed wings. He was helping me do the laundry this afternoon, spotted it in the bottom of the basket, and insisted I pull it out immediately. He is also fond of football logos, racecars, diggers, fire engines, and dinosaurs in camouflage colors.

5. He likes wearing girl clothes. David likes playing dress-up just as much as anybody else in our household. He has now claimed the white heels with flowers as his own. He’s very fond of the white lace parasol from Italy and the pink sparkly tutu.

6. He likes to change his clothes often. David now insists on picking out his own clothes. Fine. But, he keeps changing his mind. Just when you get the blue t-shirt with the baseball player logo on over his head, he’s demanding the short-sleeved shirt with the red caboose.

7. He’s funny and he cracks himself up. I’ve been singing Happy Birthday to him, and then he makes me sing Happy Birthday to everyone in the family. This game gives him hysterics.

8. He’s learning his numbers. He’s certainly heard two enough recently, but he also randomly shouts out five! eight!

9. He used to say “downthestairs” with a lovely lilt on “the.” Now he uses the more conventional term, but he still says “zes” for “yes.”

10. His smile lights up the room. We haven’t seen it much given the whining, clinging, and screaming he’s been doing in the midst of his illness. But even now, we get occasional glimpses.