A few weeks ago you turned four years old. You were anxiously waiting for the day to arrive. A few days earlier you told me, "I couldn't do this if I was only 3, but now I'm almost 4, and so I'm big enough." Turning 4 was quite the milestone in your eyes. When I asked you if I could still call you my baby even when you were 4
you thought about it very seriously, but finally agreed that it would be ok. I'm not sure how many more years that will last!
I can still remember so clearly the day that you were born. I had to wake up very early to get to the hospital at the right time. Now you wake me up early nearly every day. I guess I should have known what I was getting myself in to. Someday I will be yelling at you to get out of bed, I'm sure, but I don't anticipate it happening anytime soon!
Just a few days after your birthday I had my first parent-teacher conference for you. Your teacher had many wonderful things to say to you, including how smart you are. She was concerned that you tend to choose easier work than what you can do, because then you don't have to concentrate very hard. I talked to you about it that day, and only a couple of days later
she told me that you had gotten 2 lessons on newer more challenging work, and you told her that you had been wanting to try this work. She was very impressed with how well you did. I have a feeling that this is a conversation that we may be having for the next 14 years. Probably with varying levels of frustration on both of our parts. You made me proud, though, and I am sure that that will also happen over and over for the next 14 years.
Even though you think you are so big now, you still love to snuggle, and will often run up just to give me a kiss, and then go back to whatever you were doing. I cherish the moments I get to cuddle with you, because I know it won't always be this way. I hope, however, that you will always be as loving as you are now - even if you find new ways to show it.
You still have delicious toddler cheeks - they help remind me that as much as you think you are all grown up, that you are still my little boy, and no matter how big you get, that is never going to change. I love you, Ben - happy birthday to my very big little boy! I hope that being 4 is every bit as wonderful as you have imagined.
Mommy
