my december baby

Kaden is turning four on Monday! yikes! He has been eagerly anticipating his special day for months. I hope I can live up to his expectations. He's easy to please so I am sure he'll be a happy birthday boy. He is so much fun. SO much fun. I love the stuff he comes up with, watching him learn new things, seeing his creativity soar, watching him gain independence, seeing his excitement over the simplest things, and just trying my best to be a good mom to the little fella.

Even though he wears me out and I can hardly keep up with him--actually, I can't keep up with him--I love that he is so active and full of energy and vitality. I feel like if I could bottle up the energy of the sun, of color, of light, of all things good, it would come in the form of Kaden. Does that even make sense? I can't explain it, but his energy is just so happy and pure. He is so content with life, excited for whatever the day will hold, and ready to take the world by storm. The world is his oyster, he believes that he is the center of everything and that everyone is blessed to have his light shining around them at all times. Of course as his mama I think he's right about that, even though his habit of trying to steal the spotlight can get old.

Kaden is smart and always thinking about something. He puts things together, figures out puzzles, builds the most intricate things, and is a problem-solver. He surprises me all of the time with the things he is able to figure out and come up with on his own. He loves to be a helper and will do just about anything I ask him to.

He is so loving. He is tenderhearted and sensitive. He worries about people when they are sad or crying, he prays for people to be happy, and he seems to have an innate sense of understanding how other people are feeling. He will randomly run up to me and hug me so tight saying, "Mama I just want to hug you because I LOVE you!" He hugs and kisses other people, which we are trying to teach him to back off a bit. He is happy and loving and he just wants to show it!

Kaden loves his mommy. I am so thankful; he loves me so much. As busy as he is, as much as he loves other people, I am still his number 1. I am still the one he wants to be with, cuddle with, and have help him with whatever he needs. He wants to please me, make me proud, and make me happy. He does all of those things, day in and day out. He just wants to be wherever I am. His toys are always all over the house and I don't mind, because even if he is entertaining himself, he is within feet of me. I am glad that he doesn't disappear into his room. I can hear his noises, see his faces, see the things he is making, and take part in his day. He tells me he loves me countless times a day. He asks me if I'm happy. He wants to show me everything he has done. I love to love on him, praise him, build him up, teach him, and just be around his happy spirit. Yesterday he said several times, "mama, you are so pretty!" and it completely melted me. I could gain all the praise in the world and it would never mean as much as the love, approval, and acceptance I feel from my little family.

I feel so unbelievably blessed that my little December baby was born into our family. As cliche' as it is, there is no way to imagine my life, our lives, without Kaden in it. There is no way I would be complete without him. He is so much like me in so many ways; he is a piece of me. I feel like our souls connect, as silly as that sounds. He is a light in this family. He makes our lives happier, less stressful, more fun, and more full.