A Letter To My Son On His Third Birthday

My son,

Today you are three.

Your passion and fire captivate me, while your tender heart compliments the whole of who you are becoming.

Luke, you are kind and full of love.  I see it so clearly in the impromptu hugs you tackle your little brother with or the tiny purple flowers you pick for your sweet little friend as you part ways at the playground.  The way you hug me so tight and tell me “you’re my best mommy in my whole, whole world” or the way your eyes light up when you see your daddy drive up from work.  Your excitement shows each night we Skype with your grandparents.

I delight in how you are so precise with your every single move.  The way you line up your Matchbox cars along the window sill.  How you run your “operating room” and have dad or I lay on the floor while you prepare for surgery as you handle each of your instruments one by one; concluding care with a rub on our foreheads as you tell us we’re “actually” going to be just fine.  How it is so rare that you get messy from a cupcake or a popsicle like most preschoolers can’t avoid.  You just take care.

You speak so well and your curiosity to learn encourages me to challenge you.  You point out punctuation and question everything.  You wonder.  You use your e-maj-uh-nay-shun.  With your innocent big smile, you aren’t shy to shout out a “hi” to everyone.  You miss your doggie Bailey; you love your doggie Yukon; and you wouldn’t miss a night without your doggie, whose only name-at almost three years old himself- is doggie.

Your emotions are powerful.  When you want something, you’ll fight for it.  When you disagree with something, you’ll argue it.  When you are sad to leave a group of friends or a super fun time, you are not afraid to throw down.   Bedtime-you’ll play it out until sleep finally wins.

You’ve designated your brother Zealand as “my ZZ” and you’ll jump at the chance to take away whatever toy he’s into at that moment, but you’re also quick to apologize when you get in trouble or to share with him a treat when you are given one.  You like green beans, spaghetti and meatballs, waffles, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, ham and actually broccoli.   You’re not too fond of any type of potato, macaroni and cheese or rice.  Your favorite “special treats” these days are-to our fault and dismay- pop (that’s what your dad calls it, I call it soda) and gum (sugar-free, of course).       

You love to swim…be it the pool or the ocean.  And we have done so many things this year thanks to the amazing friends we’ve met.  Your first birthday parties, you were the first kid in the cockpit of a helicopter at an event-thanks to your dad, you were a pro this year at trick-or-treating, and you attended your first children’s theater production to which you yelled out to the cast throughout the show (in a good way!) as you smiled ear-to-ear and clapped at all the right parts.

I am so proud of the boy you are turning out to be.  I have cherished every moment of you.  The world is lucky to have you; as am I.  As are we, your family. 

I love you, my Luke.  ~mommy

I love you more than all of the fish in the sea.
You mean the whole world to me.
I love you, Luke.  Oh yes, I do. 
I love you.
I love you.
I do.

(I’ve been singing this song to him since he was just a few days old. Yes, I'm fully aware I am not a lyricist.  I do what works, people.  But I am proud that I came up with something and it stuck...and put him to sleep many-a-night.)