Dear FOUR year old Parker (Part 2)

Well it is 1o o'clock on the dot,
and you and I are piled up in my bed
because you wanted to watch a movie in my room
{it's your favorite thing to do},
but as usual, you turn right over, snuggle up under

the covers and konk out.
I would normally pick you up and carry you to bed,
struggling to walk without falling forward, with you
in my arms, but right now I think I'm just going to
lay here with you and look at you....soak it all in.

I can't get over the way your little body now hangs
off of my legs when you are sitting in my lap...
The way your once pudgy fingers have thinned out
and are almost as big as my whole hand.

I lay here and brush the hair off of your forehead,
run my hand across your soft tummy, and gawk over
your massive eyelashes and I can't help but to giggle
as I notice that you are all snuggled up with the
power ranger sword I got you today.

Does it make me a bad mom that I talked you
into going somewhere other than McDonalds
for your birthday???.......

Surely not! Because Ricatonis is SO much better.

Although we kept it low key today, with a handful
of small gifts, your super duper four year old
bash is this Saturday and I don't know who is more
excited...you or me?

I hope you had an FANTASTIC FOURTH birthday!

Dear FOUR year old Parker :(

Today is the day.

You are officially FOUR years old,

officially almost as tall as me,

and both of those facts officially breaks my heart.

So I think it's time you slow it down a bit, mmk?

These four years have absolutely flown by my little man.

You have tested me, and taught me more about myself

and my purpose in life than I ever thought possible.

You talk NON-stop...

which leads me to look back two years ago when the only

words you ever said were most certainly another

language or if any language at all for that matter.

But then, it all came at once, and you started to talk

and I sighed....a sigh of relief.

I turn to mush on the inside when you crawl up in my

lap and we quote one of your favorite movies Tangled:

Me-"I love you Parker"

You-"I love you more"

Me-"I love you most"

Your head lay on my chest and your legs and feet hang

off of my legs which makes me sad because you once were

no bigger than my arm.

I like to sneak-a-peak every now and then and laugh

at your bed headwhen you are sleeping peacefully and

as I watch you, I imagine the boy that you will become.

I imagine you bringing home your homemade mothers

day cards and macaroni necklaces. I imagine you learning

to ride a bike and swinging a golf club like tiger woods.

I imagine saying NO on school nights, and baseball games.

I imagine you coming home from school with your first broken

heart. I imagine homecoming dances, prom, and then college visits.

And while I know things might not just turn out just as I imagine, I do

know that I want the life for you that YOU imagine.

That would make me the happiest mama in the world.

I already see the beginnings of qualities in you that make

me so proud. I try to remember the things that drive me

CRAZY at times, are likely to develope into some of your

strongest, most positive characteristics.

Today for your birthday, I am at work which kills me,

but you are spending the day with your daddy and then tonight,

JJ, Nonna, Pawpaw, Aunt Courtney and Myself & whoever

else wants to go are taking you to eat.

Last night I asked you where you wanted to go eat for

your birthday and you replied, "Uuummm..McDonalds."

Although I was thinking along the lines of OUTBACK or

something, it is YOUR birthday so if you want to go to

McDonalds..........McDonalds it is!

Happy Birthday Little Man.

STOP GROWING!

I love you to infinity and beyond!

--Mama