FOUR!!!

Tonight I cuddled with a sweet, precocious, rambunctious, ornery three year old. We read from A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh...chapter six, in which Eeyore has a birthday and gets two presents.

We played with the camera a bit and took goofy pictures of ourselves...of which none will show up on this blog.

Okay, okay, I'll share one...but that's it...

Then I kissed him and he gave me nose rubbies and a high five.

He then drifted off to sleep on the couch in the matter of just a few minutes. Now, as I type this, all is quiet in the house except the soft snoring of said three year old.

(yes, his eyes are partly open...he often sleeps that way. It always creeps me out, the same way as when my brother slept that way as a child)

Now, in the stillness of the night I sit.

I reflect.

I pray.

I ponder.

I dream.

I blog.

I say goodbye.

Goodbye to three,

for in the morning,

I will greet a four year old!

Still sweet, precocious, rambunctious, and ornery...but four!

(yeah, technically he won't be four until 2:17pm, but we aren't super technical around these parts...at least most of us aren't)

Parker,

Four years ago, it was a night much like this one. I stayed up late pondering your birth. I wondered what you'd be like. Who you'd look like. If you'd be Parker Abrams or Winsor Joy, knowing in my heart you were Parker all along. I thanked God for blessing our family with you and prayed that you would grow to love and serve him with all of your heart.

Tonight, I again, thank God...

...for blessing our family with you.

...for infectious laughter that fills the room anytime someone even comes near your belly.

...for the reminders to find delight in simple things, like ice and new toothbrushes.

...for "wittle shower dances"

...for nose rubbies and high fives.

...for "piddo" (pillow) sharing as we drift off to sleep.

...for the twinkle in your eye that makes me forget that I'm frustrated you've changed clothes seventeen times in three hours.

...for the way you endearingly call Aaron, "Aary" even though you can now pronounce it properly.

...for the fact that you didn't cut off a limb when you used a butcher knife to cut your orange this morning. (please next time ask for help)

...for the way you adore your daddy.

...for your strongwill and determination...God will use that in mighty ways some day.

...for the way you tolerate being "mothered" by Magdalyn and that you have genuinely enjoyed being her real live baby doll.

...for the special friendship you have with Aaron.

...for the way you get excited about birds just because you know Jerald is excited about them.

...for the way you follow Rock around and always aim to be like him.

I'm so very thankful tonight that God gave you to me.

Of all the mamas in the world, He picked me to be the one that would hold you when you hurt and stay up with you through countless sleepless nights.

I'm the one that gets to laugh with you, cry over you, pray for you and wonder if you will make it to 18 before I kill you (or I have a heart attack) ;-).

I am humbled and I am grateful.

I love you and I am so excited to see what adventures await as we embark on this year of four!

Happy Birthday and many happy returns of the day to my sweet,sweet Punky-doo!