the birthday, installment #1

What a fun day to be Luke's mom! It doesn't seem possible that four years ago we were spending our first night with our new baby boy. Or that I'd just endured 20 something hours of labor.



Birthdays past have been bittersweet. Each year we've celebrated our sweet boy, but it's a time where "what should have been" was moved more the forefront of our minds.



But this year, Luke kind of "got it". And boy is it special when a 4 year old enjoys his birthday for the first time ever. I wasn't sure how it was going go. Yesterday he told me, "No birthday. No four. I'm three." When Ms. Judy got him out of the car this morning she said, "Whose birthday is it?" and he said, "NO BIRTHDAY!" But he warmed up to being the center of attention at the little party at snack time.



He loved making cupcakes for his class He was great at telling me the first letter of each friend's name, which we wrote on the cupcakes. Check out my stellar decorating skills in the first photo. I am so entering Martha Stewart's cupcake contest.



Yeah he was a little messy filling the cups, but he loved it. It's so fun having him help me in the kitchen. So fun I might actually start cooking. (FYI, I made homemade from scratch blueberry muffins for our IEP meeting last week. That's right. I actually bought shortening, I'm pretty sure for the first time in my life.)



And we made a second batch of cupcakes for our little family party tonight. Icing is definitely his favorite part of both the prep and eating process.





Our gifts for Luke's birthday are very simple. And I've decided to spread them out over a few days. When Luke gets multiple gifts at once, it's just overwhelming. So, last night I put a gift on the floor of our bedroom, always his first stop of the day. After we snuggled in bed for a bit, he got up and headed to the potty. He froze and said, "Mommy! Look at that!" So fun that he like presents now! Last year, I would have had to lead him to the gift and help him open it.




Here he is opening his Backyardigans toys. He immediately asked me to play and began pretending, having them talk to each other and play hide and seek. So proud of those emerging play skills.



And our party with Mimi and Papa tonight. Pizza and cupcakes. The crown is from his party at school.



Doesn't everyone sing "This Little Christian Light" at birthdays? Luke does.

My goodness, he's really four.

Luke has mastered present opening!

Mimi and Papa gave Luke a super fun My Friend Tigger and Pooh playset. A few of you appreciate the irony of me having a child that likes Pooh. I'm coming around on Pooh. Whiny, gluttonous Pooh. OK, I'm slowly coming around. So sorry to speak ill of Pooh. I know he's got some big fans out there. One lives in my house.

Thanks to everyone who shares in the life of our sweet boy! What a roller coaster ride it's been. We're so blessed to be his parents.

Luke's having a very small party with friends on Saturday. Praying that's a success. It's his first party with friends since his first birthday.