Happy Birthday Baby Boy - Year Three

Wow. Here you are three years old. I know I will say this a thousand times or more in my lifetime, but where has the time gone? Seriously, I can remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. You were so small and I was so totally unprepared to be a mother. But as they say, it has been a learning experience for both of us. And look at you now. Three years old. Again. Wow.

I first of all want to say that I admire you. I admire the way you look at life and other people. You go about your life without abandon. You love life. You are not afraid of living your life, but instead you jump into it with both feet. When you decide to do something, you do it with 100% conviction. Your grandfather made a comment about you, which I am convinced will be true. He said that you are a born leader. That people seem to look at you and will follow you, be it on the playground today or in the world that you make for yourself tomorrow. Yet, you do all these things with a tender heart and a love inside you for your fellow people. For that, I admire you and want to be just like you Jack.

Family is very important to you. It is important that you know where all your family is at any given time, and this includes aunts, uncles, and grammies and papa. You have learned how to talk on the phone this past year and boy do you love to talk to all of your family. In fact, you often times make your father or I call somebody just so you can "check in" with them and you end up talking to them for quite a long time. I love how you answer "I am doing pretty good" when they ask you how you are.

This past year has been quite an adjustment for all of us. We moved to Mississippi when you were 2 1/2 from California. It means that we are now living in your third house of your short life. I promise, we won't move again for a long time (hopefully) if I have anything to say about it. But, I just have to say that I am so proud of the way you handled the transistion. I could tell when it dawned on you that were not going to be going back to your house in California. We were driving to Mississippi and you were in the van with me and the four animals, while Daddy was ahead of us in his car. I think we were somewhere in Texas and all of a sudden you wanted to go to "your house now". I told you that we were going to our new house and I looked back at you in the rear-view mirror and I could see your face getting totally flushed red and you started to cry. You realized that we were not going to see our house nor your old room ever again. But after about 10 minutes of crying, you calmed down and I watched you start to get excited about the new adventure we were on. In a short time, we were both talking about your new room in our new house and you were all set for the change that was coming up. I hope you are able to take this sense of wonder and excitement with you throughout your life. I wish that I were a little more like you and able to move forward with the awe of change.

You started to go to preschool this year and it was the best thing for you because you absolutely love school. You only go two days a week right now for three hours each day, but during those 6 hours a week, you are in your own world. A world without me. A world with your own friends and your own schedule each day and your favorite teacher Ms. Kelsey. You have a new best friend, Kyle and I just have to say you guys are adorable together. I love how you are so caring to him and so willing to share your toys with your friend. And each morning when you guys see each other, there are many smiles and big hugs amongst you. I love seeing that side of you. The social side. The side that is so free to care about other people and not be shy to show it. You are so completely different than me in that regard, because I was so shy when I was younger, I barely even functioned in public. And even now, I am not as free as you are when it comes to interacting with other people. Again, I admire you in so many ways.

I see you growing up so fast, but I love what I am watching. I love watching you grow into a caring young man that I know you will be. I love having you as my son. I love having the responsibilty to raise a good and decent man. I just hope that I can look at you when you are 21 and be even prouder of you and admire you that much more. But for now, I am just the luckiest Mama in the entire world because I have YOU as my Baby Boy. Even if you don't like me to call you Baby Boy any more.

Love,
Mama