Three Years of the Amazing and Awesome Aiden!!!

Hey Lovelies!

Today Aiden turns 3-years-old and I am totally speechless. Like really, I CAN NOT believe how incredibly fast time flies. I CAN NOT believe that the adorable 7 lb 9 oz newborn that I pushed out (sans medicine) after over 24 hours of labor is now a full blown toddler -- running, jumping, kicking, screaming, smiling, laughing, reading, joking, SINGING!, cleaning up after himself, making sure all of his toys go in the right toy bin, going to the potty AND washing his hands after... Wow!

I may sound totally and completely biased, which I think is okay for the purpose of this post (and Aiden's life!), but the kid is SUPER DUPER AMAZING. I write these words with tears in my eyes because it blows my mind sometimes at how beautiful he is growing... and how blessed I am to call him my son. And as articulate as I like to think that I am, I don't even feel like my words, or this post, will do him justice. Really.

While I was thinking of presents for him (hey, you only turn 3-years-old once, ya know... it's kinda a BIG deal), there were so many possibilities because he finds joy in so many things.

I thought of getting him a guitar because he LOVES to sing. All day. Everyday. From Barney and Friends songs to the theme songs of his fave shows (Go Diego, Go; Wonder Pets; Dora, The Explorer) to the ABC's, the days of the week, a MILLION and one nursery rhymes, songs from church, Happy Birthday To You, The Star Spangled Banner (yep!), Lift Every Voice And Sing (he knows it better than me!)... he knows and loves 'em all. ALL.

I LOVE when I'm in the kitchen cooking or cleaning that I can hear him in another room singing his little heart out. It's like sweet melodies to my ear. And then he comes into the kitchen and says, "Mommy, I'm singing a song for you." Love it! Thank you, baby A. Of course, being the proud mama that I am, I record it on my blackberry and email it to all my friends and his god parents, proclaiming, "Look how smart my baby is!"

I thought of getting him a few more books even though he already has two bookcases filled with books and knows almost all of them. But I pictured taking him to the kids section of Barnes n' Nobles, and seeing the excitement in his eyes. Every time I come home with a new book for him, he is so so grateful and happy. He LOVES for me to read books to him, and every time we're done, he says, "Mommy, my turn; I'll read it for you." And he does. Page by page, picture by picture, he "reads" the story back to me, with appropriate facial and vocal expressions.

And his memory is so good that, whenever something happens throughout the day that reminds him of a story, he says, "Mommy, that's like in the book with ______ [insert appropriate scenario here]. Analyzing stories and making comparisons to books already... a Columbia University baby in the making!

I thought about getting him more floor puzzles because he loves, loves, loves 'em! I watch as he struggles to put them together -- umm, that's not a match; that goes there; umm... where's the other piece?; oh, I find it; oh, there's a match! And when he finally puts the entire puzzle together, he steps back, looks at his masterpiece, and says, "perfect!" How amazing is he?! And how'd I get so lucky? And... is there another word for "amazing" because I can't think of any?

It's mind-blowing that someone so small can make me feel almost every emotion possible -- incredibly competent, yet enormously incapable. And sometimes within minutes of each other. But that's all right, because that's the blessing of motherhood. For his birthday, I decided to throw him a small birthday party with all of his "friends," as he calls them (which you can read all about next week).

And as for the gift... well, the gift won't matter as much as the memories we'll make together with that gift. I'm looking forward to seeing his excitement as he unwraps his gift; and I'm looking forward to making more happy memories with the absolute amazingness that is Aiden.



Mommy loves you, baby! Muah!

Smooches,
SweetAl