Proof of Life: Happy 3rd Birthday Caedmon!

Caedmon, Caedmon, Caedmon! You are 3 now! I honestly can't believe it! It was only last year that you could barely talk, and now you can give me a reasonable explanation as to why you simply had climb on top of the table to reach the ceiling fan and attach Spiderman to the string before jumping down.

Well, life has certainly been nothing shy of an adventure since you came into our family, and I'm so very thankful for you. Your life has added depth and richness to my own life and to our family. So in honor of your 3rd birthday, here is a Birthday Blog dedicated to you and 3 ways in which your personality has developed this past year!

1. You are a hero! No adventure is too big for you! Not only do you pretend to be every hero from Batman to Fireman Sam, but you also genuinely care for others. Each day, you dress up in a hero costume and create situations in which you can come to the rescue. Some days there are "fires" in the kitchen and you grab my hand to lead me to safety. Other days, the "bad guys" are in the city and you give me, Daddy, Abby (and sometimes even Sophie) super-hero names so that we can join you in the battle against evil! Always, always, you save the day! But in "real life", too, you don't like for people to cry. You are quick to hug and quick to forgive. One day at Kids Cove, I watched as you attempted to scare off a 7 or 8 year old boy that was growling at all the kids. Abby had tried to climb to the top of the tree, and the boy growled at her making her cry. After hearing Abby's story, you said, "I'll go check!" and ran away in effort to locate the growler. Then you came back and reported that you told him "No!" I love your spirit of courage. I pray that it grows and becomes deeply rooted in wisdom! :)

2. You are a lover! Oh my word, I have never known a little boy to be so loving and affectionate. From the day you were born, you have enjoyed snuggling close. You still like to hold my hand and you hug and kiss me all the time. One of my favorite things during the day is helping you settle down for nap time because after all your chatter ends, you snuggle in close and either hold my hand, or stroke my face until you fall asleep. More often than not your final words before drifting off to sleep are "I loves you, Mommy." I loves you too, sweetheart! Very much! And my absolute favorite is when I cook your favorite food. Once while I was standing at the stove, you leaned over and hugged me and said, "I loves you SO much when you cooking." :) And some days if I cook a food you particularly love, you can hardly sit still long enough to eat it because you are touching my arm and thanking me and kissing me for cooking your meal! I certainly will know what to tell your future wife some day!

3. You are comedian! If there is one thing I've learned from you Caedmon Alexzander it would be to laugh. You are able to find the humor in almost any situation and your laughter is contagious! One of my favorite things to hear you say is "It's my JOKE!" You are able to find the joy in life and invite others to join in. Every day is a new day of joy to you. I love your light-hearted spirit, it brings life to our family!

Happy Birthday, Son! Always remember that Mommy and Daddy love you and are so very proud of you! You are a most excellent little brother to Abby and I look forward to seeing you grow as a big brother to Caleb!