Not a baby anymore

Michael Jr you are almost 3... a BIG boy, not a baby anymore.... where did my little baby boy go? I am trying to enjoy these last few days with you as a 2 year old before your "real" birthday ( you were a bit confused after your party that you weren't really 3 yet, we could have probably pretended that you were but I didn't want you to grow up too fast, to miss out on still being 2). So everynight since the Carnival party when we say our prayers and our goodnights and our I love you's we count down how many days until you are THREE... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! And I hug and I kiss you and I tell you how I want to enjoy still having a two year old because you will never ever ever be two again and for some reason 3 just seems so big to me, it's defiantly not a baby, maybe not even a toddler.... 3 is a "little" BIG boy! And there are times I look at you and in a quick glance or when you are doing a certain activity or making a little Michael Jr face it's like I can see into the future and you look like a big kid, like a 10 or 12 year old and those are the moments I wonder where did my baby Michael go? and why does time have to move so fast? But there are other times I look at you and I can see exactly where my baby is, he's here, right here.. just a little taller and bigger but he's here! It's in the moments that you call for me, or when you are hurt or crying or when you climb in my lap to hear a story and it's especially when you are fast asleep and I go in your room one last time before I go to bed (just to check on you and kiss you) and I look down at you and you look so little, so peaceful and then that's when I see my baby Michael, I can so clearly remeber you as a baby too.

Since you are almost 3 (2 more days if your counting down) I started thinking about this past year and I can't believe how much you have learned and accomplished and done and how much you have grown as a 2 year old. You can look at the wall in your room and see clearly from the markings that you have physically grown over a few inches this year or you can see it when you try to squeeze in last years jeans and you say ,yay mom look they fit ( but really they look like ridiculous floods on you) but I am talking about your personal growth. For starters, this past year you became a big brother and that instantly made you look so big to me but I'd have to say that just recently you really started embracing that role and you are becoming the best big brother to your little Nicholas... playing with him and helping him and showing him how to do things and holding his hand and kissing him and including him and I am so proud of that and I know as a 3 year old you will continue to be the best big brother! You also became potty trained last fall and that was a huge accomplishment and you continue to do so well with it, you are like a little man who needs his privacy and his time in the bathroom, you also get so excited about your character underwear ( so you will be getting about 8 pairs of those for your birthday!). As a two year old you learned to count, really high and sing your abc's too and sing lots of other songs... you seem to have a little passion for signing and dancing and laughing too! I am planning on starting to work on the alphabet a lot more with you once you turn 3 ( in 2 more days in case you were still coutning), learn to recognize the letters and write the letters and to do a letter of the day. As a two year old you learned to play games and follow instructions, you became a really good painter and colorer and your love for books continues ( we read 2 or 3 everynight and you listen so closley to each and ask questions and you remember everything about the books and it amazes me). As a two year old you traveled to the ocean and the Columbus zoo and wagon trails and the fair and lots of parades and parties and events and you enjoyed every moment of fun! You especially liked the animals, any animal and all animals ( you will love a pet someday, maybe when you're 8... maybe sooner) you loved the pigs at the fair and the cows too and you loved feeding the deer at wagon trails and the polar bears were our most favorite at the zoo and at the beach you loved the fish and the birds.... you remind me of myself when I was little I loved all animals too ( I always said I was going to be a vet when I grew up). We had a lot of fun this past year playing games, coloring, taking walks down to feed the ducks, going to storytime, you especially enjoyed all the holidays and got so excited to decorate for each, it made it so much fun for me too... you loved looking at Christmas lights and decorating the tree and you loved carving pumpkins and going trick or treating ( you were the cutest little fireman) and you loved decorating and coloring Easter eggs and in the summer we went to every parade and party to celebrate Fourth of July and Memorial Day too.... you really made every holiday worth celebrating!

Terrible two's????They say 2's are terrible and I'd have to say that we had our moments this year but as I look back and think about the year I seem to remember so much good and so many happy times... it really dosen't seem so terrible to me! I see change and growth and accomplishments and happiness and love... for every hard moment or disappointing action or "bad' day we had this past year, I can remember 100 more wonderfully fun and exciting and happy moments :)
I can't believe my baby is turning THREE! We have such a fun "real" birthday planned! Of course I will secretly decorate your room with streamers and balloons and signs when you are sleeping (this is one of my most favorite memories as a child, birthdays were always so special, always a celebration!) and you will wake up to a birthday surprise! Then we will have a delicious birthday breakfast of your choice, that I am sure will include most of the following eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, pancakes and hashbrowns (breakfast is your favorite meal) then we will go to Toys R Us to let you pick out a special birthday toy and we will go the movies ( cars 2 or winnie the Pooh) and out to lunch or dinner at Applebee's and home for DQ Icecream cake (which your father talked you into asking for, bc that's his favorite, lol) and PRESENTS!!! Sounds like a fun day to me... a Micahel Jr day.... a day all about you... a day celebrating you!

Happy Birthday to my Michael Jr... mommy loves you so much! Three years ago I was given the most wonderful and perfect present ever... YOU!
Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Micahel Jr.... Happy Birthday to you!
Don't forget to make a wish!