Poki's Third Birthday!

My Sweetsie Fly,

I cannot believe how quickly this year has flown by. Age two brought many a milestone: your first haircut, your first trip to the dentist, a move to a big boy bed, a move to our very own house, and…without a doubt, the biggest milestone of all…you became a big brother. And what a big brother you are! I am so proud of how well you’ve taken everything in stride. It’s truly amazing. You’ve adjusted to all these family changes far better than the rest of us!

My sweet boy, you’re growing by leaps and bounds. You wash your hands all by yourself, stand on a stool to get your own cup of water, carry your plate to the sink when you’re finished eating, dress and undress yourself…there is too much to list! You’ve become so independent. It’s a bittersweet thing for a mother to witness, to tell the truth. Thank God you still crawl in my bed every morning to snuggle. Thank God I still have that smidgen of my baby.

In this next year, I promise to be the best mother I can be to you. I promise to be patient. I promise to be as thoughtful and understanding as that patience allows. I promise to tell you a Carson the Explorer story every time I put you to bed. I promise to give you my spare change to help you save up for that tractor you saw at Home Depot. I promise to do whatever I can to encourage your amazing curiosity and creativity.

As hard as it is to see you get older—as much as I miss my first baby boy—I am so excited to see the man you will become. All the things that frustrate me the most about you are exactly the things I think will make you an amazing grown up. I can’t tell you how fortunate I feel to watch you become him with each tiny step. Even when those steps make me want to rip my hair out. It is so worth it.

To steal an idea from Allen Ginsberg (he was speaking about the universe, but think it applies to love): I have to find a new word for love. The old one means too many things from other times and people. You, my sweet boy, deserve your own word. But for now, I love you. More than you could ever know. Happy birthday, kiddo.

Mom