Today is Elijiah's 5th birthday. My how times flies. He was born at 2:04pm and like every year I write a letter to him....Here is a reflection of the past year with him:
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So I was going through my old emails, hundreds of them, searching for all your previous years letters. I have written one every birthday and only seemed to be able to find your 1st and 3rd birthday year letters….WHAT?! I know that I wrote them, Ive done it each year without fail. However I can only find those two. Im sorry Elijiah. Ive decided that instead of storing them in my email, I will print them off each year and put them in your baby book or something. I had this terrible fear that if I died, no one would ever find my sweet words to my lovely boy, and you would grow up never knowing the things I said or read the memories of yourself each passing year. So Ive learned my lesson!
Now to start off as I seem to always start off by saying---WOW has another year gone by?? Where does the time go? I cant believe it! It goes without saying that so much has happened and as usual you adjust and make things work in spite of the changes that are around you. When I think back to your birthday last year which by the way does seem like yesterday…..we were in the condo- which you still refer to, remember, and often ask to return to, till now- many things in your, our lives are different. I got married to Jonathan, we moved to our new house, and we are expecting a new baby as well. There has been lots of changes in the last 12 months and you have adjusted like a champ.
Some of just a few of the memories I have of you over the last year is your continual independent nature. Every year I see you growing up, developing into your own self with your own ideas, opinions and thoughts. You are amazing. You are a deep thinker, way ahead of others your own age and even older. While I don’t think much about this when its just us, when I see you with your peers, older cousins, or neighborhood kids its abundantly clear you are way ahead. I don’t know what it is specifically. Perhaps your school, your situation you’ve adapted to? Your ability to see hurt in others and your perceptive nature? You soak up knowledge like no other in a non traditional sense….I mean your not reading yet( its too bad you could go to kindergarten this year- you are SO ready) not doing math in a normal way etc….but you have a keen memory, you help others so easily, can recite facts that you heard from a book or TV show with complete accuracy. You have a love of finding out truth and question your religious teachings and ask deep questions.
I have seen your love of church grow. Your understanding of Christ become real. You talk about the Resurrection and what will happen with Jesus comes again. You think about whats around you and question why things are, and yet you are 5. You play hard, laugh hard, are a good friend and just started to write your name. You continue to be stubborn and willful, difficult to reason with as you know everything. But I love you beyond reason.
We had a good summer…went to Canada for our summer vacation. You get lots of play time and time to relax. Time to boat, and go tubing- and while your cautious nature still gets the best of you after some coaxing and you realize you are safe to dive right into activities. Several examples of this is if it looks scary or you haven’t done it before you will fight with me about doing it. Over the summer at grandmas house we kept trying to tell you that jumping off the diving board is fun. You refused to even try. It wasn’t until your cousin Adam did it that you were willing to give it a shot. With your floatation devices securely attached to your arms you tentatively walked to the end and basically fell off the diving board. Under the water you went and immediately popped up again. With a big smile on your face. From that moment till it was time to get out of the pool you and Adam took turns running and jumping off the diving board having the time of your life.
Soccer was a big hit this fall. Your dad called and suggested we put you in which I full heartedly supported. ( After all you come from two jocks haha) When I picked you up from school that day to let you know what we had planned you started to cry, saying you weren’t going to do it. That I couldn’t make you. WOW I thought to myself. I made you promise that while you didn’t have to participate at first you would go to practice and at least watch. You agreed- it was a fair compromise after all. Well lets just say that after your first practice you were hooked. You love soccer. You love game day and practice day and look forward to them each week. Its just the fear of the unknown for you that has always been a stumbling block. You are one of the most determined kids I know and excel at whatever you set your mind to…but that’s the problem…getting you to realize that you can do something.
I loved to see that while you are now one of the oldest kids in your school- you are good to the younger kids. I appreciate that kindness in you. This has manifested itself with “Bob”. Jonathan and I decided that because we couldn’t take Keeva back, that it would still be good to have an animal in the house. You love animals and a cat would be a good pet to have. You have loved Bob from the moment we got him. He is your “baby”. You play with him, carry him, cuddle with him and Bob is so tolerant of you. He lets you wrap him up and put him over your shoulder like a baby. He antagonizes you at the same time but you have a love for him and it shows. You are incredibly kind to all your animals- Keeva and Max included. You are very lucky to have great animals around you that you trust and adore.
You chose to be a pirate for Halloween this year and as usual your birthday has followed suite. You have asked for me to create a pirate ship for a cake and I will do my best. I tried to explain to you that for your 2nd birthday you were SO into cars that I made you a car cake. While Im not a pro in decorating, your blue bug car was quite impressive so I will try hard on doing some kind of Pirate theme cake for you!
With being pregnant, and in a few short months you will be a big brother I know this next year will bring lots of changes again to your world. I just wanted to you know that I have loved every minute of the last 5 years with you and it is without doubt the best thing in life to be your mom.
Happy 5th birthday Elijiah!
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