Dear Caleb,
I can hardly believe you are already 4 years old. What they say is so true...the days are slow but the years are fast. I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. I remember how the doctor told me I should be glad I chose to have the c-section, and finding out that you were 11 lbs 13 oz!! I remember being scared when I couldn't see you or hold you for 5 hours after you were born. I remember that night in the hospital where your daddy and I were completely overwhelmed and had to send you to the nursery for a break, all the while feeling completely incompetent. I remember your coming home and how I couldn't wait til you were 6 months old so I could take you to library story time for the first time. I remember all your "firsts". You are so special to us, because you WERE our first. So much of the time, we were so clueless. I was so sad when nursing you didn't work out. But you did just fine on that bottle. :) I remember your toddler years, and how challenging things got when you became mobile. You perfected that army crawl, and then once you were walking...well, it became a constant chase. :) (and you still like to be on the move today!) I remember when you first started talking, and what a great vocabulary you had...and still do!
And here we are, 4 years later. You are such a little boy now, not a baby at all. You love to do things yourself. Just this morning, you got yourself dressed and came downstairs, all by yourself (and this wasn't the first time!)! You are so smart...you can read some words, and you just love to point them out when you see them. You also love house numbers and love pointing those out as well, which we find so funny. You LOVED your first year of "playschool"...you made so many new friends, loved your teachers Ms Anne and Ms Kim, and learned so much. We LOVED watching you perform on stage at Christmas, Easter, and your end of the year program--you were not shy at all, and had so much fun up there singing and dancing...I hope that doesn't change! Your teachers had great things to say about you-that you were a good share-r, that you were always saying sweet things, and that you just plain LOVED school. You picked up on the Spanish that you were taught so easily. You learned to write your name. You are not a huge fan of coloring and crafts, but you brought home some adorable things regardless...thanks for your effort. :) I loved hearing about your days, and getting to send in special things in the "share bag" and when you got to take the class mascot, Curious George, home with you for a few days. I loved watching you interact with your friends. Even though it was hard to leave and not be able to stay and watch you, I know it was worth it, and you made some wonderful memories as well. I know I did.
You are funny. You are constantly saying things that crack your daddy and I up. Right now it makes us giggle when you call New Circle Road the "cuh-spress" (express) road. You know you can't have your window down on that road. :) You are also funny right now about "codes" for things, like..."If I do this (insert hand or face motion) it means ________". You are such a little parrot and it's funny to hear you say things you've heard us or other people say.
You are sensitive. You still don't really care for bad guys on TV shows/movies, especially Zurg from Toy Story. You prefer shows with very little conflict, like "Dragon Tales," "My Big Big Friend," "Curious George," "Kipper," "Blue's Clues." "Fireman Sam," "Cat in the Hat," etc. although we introduced you to Tom and Jerry and you love those. You don't like to disappoint mommy, and are quick to say you're sorry if mommy is upset with you. You want your friends to be happy and are quick to share with them.
You get so excited about EVERYTHING. Sometimes I think your little body can't handle it all...and this sometimes makes "special days" kind of hard. But I love your enthusiasm for life. You were SO excited for our "vacation" to Gatlinburg this summer, and enjoyed the cabin SO much. You loved having your room in the basement with your "very own porch." I love your imagination that has come out in leaps and bounds this year as well.
You're so fun to play with and watch play. You love your sandbox, and have gotten a lot of use out of it this spring/summer. You love to go to the park and swing on the swings and go down slides. You got a bike with training wheels for your birthday and you are doing so great on it. You love to swim in your pool. You still love your marble toy you got for Christmas, your "sugar chute" you've had since you were almost 3, your trains, and your books. You have many of your favorite books memorized, like "Dogku," "Charlie the Ranch Dog," "The Cow Loves Cookies," Mother Goose rhymes, just to name a few. We read a Bible story or 2 (or 3!) every night as well, and you love those stories. You learned a lot about God at BSF this year, and I'm so grateful for that.
I'm not gonna lie, 3 was hard. You could throw a tantrum like none other. I'm talking screaming, crying, throwing things, the whole thing. You can be very head strong and stubborn, and get upset when things don't go your way, or the way you're used to. One day you screamed that you "didn't like Mommy anyMORE!!" from your bedroom and my heart about broke. I know you didn't really mean it, but it still stung. We had some battles, you and I. I didn't always keep my temper under control and I'm sure I overreacted too many times. For those times, I am sorry. Whenever the tantrum would pass, I loved to just hold you in my arms, stroke your hair, and tell you how much I loved you. I can already see that 4 will be better in some ways, and I'm looking forward to that.
You are a good eater. You like what you like, though, and aren't too fond of changes...we're working on that. Your current favorites include spaghetti (you love Fazoli's because of the breadsticks!!), ham and cheese sandwiches, grilled cheese, peanut butter, cheese sticks, chicken noodle soup, yogurt, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, mandarin oranges, strawberries, apples, veggie sticks, hamburgers, and french fries. You like corn, but hate anything green. I hope to work on that this next year! You also love Jimmy Johns and Chick-fil-a. And ice cream. And anything chocolate, but your current favorites are Tootsie Rolls. You don't like Tootsie Roll pops, though...just plain suckers. :)
You love to help out around the house. Cleaning with mommy, or doing projects with daddy, it doesn't matter. If you can help, you do. I love this about you. One morning you spent a good 20 minutes cleaning your firetruck that you can ride in, and were SO proud of how sparkly clean it was! You also helped daddy "cultivate" the front garden on night and were so proud of that. You love helping out in our vegetable garden, too.
You did so great at your very first swimming lessons this year! I was so nervous about how it was going to go, but you were AWESOME. You had a great teacher, Ms. Alyssa, who was so patient with you. You jumped off the diving board 2 times for mommy, but I think you were kind of scared of it. I just know you're going to get better and better the more you practice, and I'm so glad you're not scared of the water. You also did great at The Little Gym this year...you can flip over the bar on your own now, walk on the balance beam on your own, hang on the rings for a long time, etc. I'm so proud of you and your "skills"!
You became a big brother this year. WOW, you are SUCH a good big brother to Molly Kate. You love her so much, and she adores you. She just watches you and follows you with her eyes whenever you come in the room. You make her smile and laugh like NOBODY else can. I love her giggles she saves especially for you. You've been such a big helper as we've transitioned to a family of 4. Sure, you get jealous at times when she has our whole attention, and you tend to get louder as she gets louder. When she was crying one time you told me that it "hurt your heart" to hear her cry. :( You love to hug and kiss her, and you've been so excited since she's started sitting up so you can "play" with her. You all took your first brother-sister bath the other night and it was so sweet to see you splashing and playing together. You have gotten frustrated when she's grabbed things that are yours lately, so I'm sure that will be a challenge for me, but for the most part, you show her nothing but love and patience.
I'm sure there is much more I could say, but I'll stop here for now. You are so special to me. I love how you love your mommy (daddy, too, of course!!). You told me just yesterday that you wanted to marry me. :) Sweet, sweet boy of mine. Thank you for being so loving, sweet, and kind-hearted. Thanks for being quick to say you're sorry, and quick to forgive me. Thanks for being so agreeable (most of the time) and fun to be with. Thanks for being such a JOY. I'm so very glad that God gave you to me. You are a miracle, in every sense of the word. I can't wait to see how you grow and change in this next year--there are so many things you are looking forward to-lunch bunch and soccer for example. I love you (stinky face). :)
Love,
Mommy
