You are four! And how excited you are to be four! In fact, I think if you could, you'd skip right over four and go to five. You want to be a big boy so badly (and you are), but you want to hang with the big kids and do big kid things. Please don't wish this time away, just for your mama's sake.
It's hard for me to imagine that four years ago, I was finishing up work, exhausted, with a big round belly. I wanted you to be here so much, but I was also terrified at what it meant to be a mother. It was hard for me to see past the baby stage into the little person you would become and what an awesome person you are! You are funny and sweet. Caring and rough. Everything that a little boy is rolled into one. We told you the other day that you were such a ham and you looked at us like we were crazy. We had to explain that being a ham meant that you're funny and charismatic, not a ham that you get at the grocery store.
Your fourth year has brought about lots of changes. Daddy and I were talking just the other day about how the time outs are becoming less frequent and how in just a few weeks your personality has changed. We have full on conversations now about fun things like dinosaurs and what food starts with the letter P. We talk about where the airplanes in the sky are traveling and places you'd like to go and things you'd like to see. We've tried out t-ball and I think you may be just a little young for it yet. The other day you said you'd rather go to the playground than play baseball and if that's what you want, that's what we'll do. We have plenty of time to get into organized sports and if you'd rather not quite yet, that's fine with us.
I've worried about you this past year. It's been a lot of change for your little soul. You went from being in the spotlight all the time to sharing it with a baby sister that you never asked for. And while you never asked to add onto our family, you really have taken it in stride (except for those first few weeks that were difficult for everyone). You love your sister and have consistently called her "my baby." You love to make her laugh and instead of seeing it as the love being taken away from you, I feel like you've seen it for what it is and the love growing to accommodate another person in our family instead of it being split in half. How I love you even more for being your sweet self.
I'm so, so proud of you. How you love to play, how you're so energetic and creative and how you're excited for everything! It can be as simple as an ice cream cone that we fix at home, but it makes your day. You love going to church now and are so independent. You run off to children's church on your own and don't wait around to see if we're behind you.
Dear Luke, you are the best. Your daddy and I are so blessed to have you and to watch you learn and grow over your life. I pray that you will always love us like you do now (although I'm sure we'll have some tumultuous teenage years) but know daddy and I will love you forever and always. We'll always have your back and will be your biggest supporters. And just how you say that I'm your best girl, you'll always be my best boy.
I love you Lucas James. Happy Birthday.
