my goodness, the boy is three.

the boy who was born a ram in the year of the ox.

of course, it was love at first sight. i remember the moment he was handed to me. the tangible realization that the weight i was carrying was transferred from my belly to my chest. he was real.

the word "belonging" never held its meaning more as we all grew together in his first two years.

the second year was overwhelming for all of us. it was such a time of change. 

it was - and continues to be incredible, to listen to him speak and share what's on his mind.

it was our pleasure to jump on all the bandwagons he chose to explore. no doubt, it was the year of the dinosaur. but there was also curious george and belugas and orcas, too.

i even have a healthy respect for his defiance and strong will. as much as it infuriates me in times of necessary discipline, i am so proud of both his courage and his conviction.

and i am so grateful for his sense of humour. and how much he loves to laugh. or hug. no matter how scary i get. and i do get quite scary. perhaps even scarier than necessary sometimes. 

i love the spirit in which he chooses to explore the world: with one foot in front of the other, a question formulating with his furrowed brows.

happy, happy birthday my son.  bring on your version of three. i'm quite sure i'm not ready for it but i am up for the adventure.

love,

mama