Happy 4th Birthday Alex

Dear Alex,

I still think that someday, I'm going to bind all these entries and give them to you for your Highschool graduation. Or maybe I'll give it to you as a wedding gift when you technically are not our property anymore because surely, I will not allow you to date until your 25, and I may allow you to move in with a female roommate at 26 when I have completed your homeschooling in both highschool and college. I can't believe my little girl is growing up.

So today, on your 4th birthday I must say how quickly the last 4 years have flown. It feels like just yesterday you were handed to me in a burrito wrap with a cone head and goop in your eyes, with scratches on your little face and I first fell in love with you. Eight weeks later when you stopped screaming around the clock, and I rec'd more than 3 hours of consecutive sleep I fell in love with you again and again every single day since.

Tonight at dinner I glanced at you across the table and found a speck of Asparagus spear on your cheek. I didn't say anything, but moments later I caught you cross eyed. Obviously this speck was in your realm of vision. Your dad soon noticed and for a few brief moments we watched you twist your head and squint your eyes. You then said, 'Dad, is there sumthin on my nose?' Well, we both just cracked up. You make us laugh every single day and in a good way.

Because I didn't keep this blog when you were a baby, I wanted to document a brief re-cap of your first 4 years.

You were born May 19th, 2005 at 4:57 pm. You weighed 8 lbs 3oz and were 21.5 inches long. You had Colic just like your dad did and cried for 8 long weeks, but we loved you anyway or maybe more because of it. One day you stopped crying and ever since, you haven't stopped smiling.

Your major milestons: You first smiled at 2 months old, you laughed at 3 months, and at 4 1/2 months you slept for an 8 hour stretch. At 5 months you rolled from your tummy to your back and at 6 months from your back to your tummy. At 7 1/2 months you were sitting on your own and got your first teeth! At 10 months, you were crawling, saying Mama & Dada, and Nodding Yes or No. You walked at 13 months and at 23 1/2 months you put your first poo in the pottie rather than those diapers you loved so much.

Your favorite toy EVER was the Johny Jump where you spent the majority of your time LEAPING at alarming heights in the doorways around the house. Your first words include Mama, Dada, Whoa, UH OH, Ball, Was Dat?, Amen, Dee Doo (thank you), ganks (thanks) and Pee Boo (Peek a Boo).

Your first song was Old McDonald Had a Farm which you could only mutter, 'E-I-O' following moments later was always a soft whisper of 'Hooorse, or Cow'. You called PopPop 'Da Bop Bop' until you were two, and at 23 months had several full sentences including 'I don't want a bruddy' when you learned of a new brother on the way.

My lulu- you make me smile and laugh everyday. It's been amazing watching you grow and change and learn. I'm so thankful to have you as my daughter and can't wait for the many years to come. I do hope that the next time I write you a birthday blog, you don't pop your head over the stairway banister when you should be in bed, and I hope that that naughty talk you've had lately goes away and that I don't actually 'get what I deserve' in your teenage years. I'm signing off, I have to go supervise your dad who's putting together your new big girl Barbie Bike with handle bar tassles, flower pedals, and purple training wheels. Your gonna LUV it, but well-you did make it clear, perfectly clear which bike you HAD to have now didn't you. Happy Happy Birthday Sweet girl.

Love,
Mommy.