Charmed Kind of Life: Four.

Four.

That's how old my little boy is today. Four years ago, he was born at 9:03pm weighing 7 pounds and measuring 20.5 inches. Today, he's ridiculously tall and probably about 40 pounds or so [we find out his official stats at his check-up next week], and he wears a size 11.5/12 toddler shoe. Soon, he'll be in boys' shoes. Wow.

How did we get to this point so quickly? How did I go from sleepless nights to walking to FOUR in such a short amount of time? I swear, life did not pass so quickly before I became a parent. I mean, college flew by, but that was nothing compared to how quickly the last four years have flown by. It's been such a joy to watch JJ grow up and learn new things, but it's also been bittersweet because I want time to slow the hell down.

He's taken such leaps and bounds this last year, even with everything that has happened to our family. He's talking a lot more, stringing together full sentences, using his imagination [his current thing is making up verses to The Wheels on the Bus], and learning sports. I'm serious about that last one - he knows that after a touchdown normally comes an extra point attempt, what a slam dunk is and how many points basketball shots are worth. He's also currently learning the words to the OKState fight song, a feat I will definitely take credit for. :)

When he was a baby, I spent so many nights wondering what kind of kid he would be - and he's such a fun kid. He's also exhausting; he has so much energy that it's difficult to reign him in. He loves to be a copycat, especially when it comes to thinks he shouldn't be saying/doing [like jumping on beds and jumping off couches]. His current likes are Thomas the Train, Toy Story [well, really Buzz Lightyear], Finding Nemo [especially Nemo], this toy robot he got from a family friend, and running all over the place. This year, he finally figured out that Christmas = Santa Claus and presents, birthday = blowing out candles and presents, and Halloween = trick-or-treating and candy. Oh boy.

He also has this thing for airplanes. We live by an airport that offers flying lessons, so planes are going around here all the time. He would probably sit for hours and watch those planes if he could. We have never taken him on an airplane, but I think he just enjoys watching them soar through the sky. Part of me wonders if he'll be a pilot someday...it would be logical, especially since the Air Force bloodline is now in our family since my husband is in. Only time will tell.

He is so very observant. I call him my little GPS; if we go to a place often enough, he can get us there by telling us which way to turn. He also recognizes logos [like Wal-Mart, Sam's, Hobby Lobby etc.], places [Costco, Great Wolf Lodge, the mall], and things [my mom's van, our neighbor's truck]. He sees and hears everything, which is a good and a bad thing. He has [unfortunately] picked up on my irritation with bad sports calls and awful drivers, which means he yells "Throw the ball!" or "Go defense go!" at the TV or "People, go, go!" on the road. Oops.

He is somewhat of a picky eater. He'll eat chicken and pork chops but doesn't like the crap food - hamburgers, hot dogs etc. The only way I can get him to eat veggies is to get him chicken noodle soup from Panera Bread or sneak in spinach. He loves smoothies, spaghetti and just about any candy or chocolate you put in front of him. He's also a big oatmeal fan, which he definitely didn't get from me since I don't like oatmeal.

He loves being outside, so we got him a bike this year that he can [hopefully] ride around. I can't believe this thing has training wheels that can be removed; the day those come off, I know I'll cry. We couldn't find a suitable Thomas bike, so we got a Buzz one instead:

JJ's new Toy Story bike. Props to J for putting it together.

Instead of a party, we will be taking him to Great Wolf Lodge later on this week [for the fourth time in a year - we totes love that place]. Three of my aunts and J are in town to go with us and celebrate; I'm so looking forward to the family time. It will also take my mind off of how quickly the future is becoming reality. In August, he will start pre-k full time and won't be in daycare as much anymore. He will be in school - where he'll have school pictures, yearbooks, PTA meetings, sports, friends, homework...wow. Just thinking about how quickly that's coming down the pipeline makes my heart drop. I knew that JJ wouldn't stay little forever, but to be facing all of this so fast is just a shock to the system. When he was little, I willed time to slow down so that I could truly savor every moment - but instead, it's gone by faster.

As the time continues to fly by, I continue to be amazed at how much he's learning, how much he's growing, how big he's gotten. Even though he's probably in the 90th+ percentile for his height, he will always be my little boy. The day he came into my life was the day my life changed forever, and it's only gotten better and better the older he gets. I am so blessed to have him in my life, to be able to call him my son, to be able to hear him call me his mommy. He is my world, my heart, my soul - and I will try my hardest to cherish every moment, because we all know that babies don't keep.

Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet boy. Mommy loves you to infinity and beyond.