Turning 4

Last month my son turned 4.  All I can say is what a difference a year makes! 

As you know from my previous posts, last year was very stressful as we dealt with my son qualifying for long term care for his 3rd birthday.  Needless to say that put a damper on any type of celebrating or excitement we felt for his birthday.  Additionally, he didn't really understand it was his birthday and even his older sister was more excited for his birthday that my son.

This year was completely different.  My son knew a month ahead of time that he was going to be turning 4 and that his birthday was coming up.  Again, this was mostly thanks to his older sister telling him he was going to have a birthday soon and that he was going to get lots of presents and oh yes, be 4 now instead of three. 

So, for a couple of weeks prior to his birthday when we asked how old he was going to be he said "4"!  Daddy taught him how to show the number 4 with his fingers and he proudly displayed that to us whenever we asked.  Of course, at some point in that time frame my son decided to start saying he was going to be 2 while still holding up 4 fingers but we quickly reinforced that he was going to be 4 and not 2.

We also celebrated his birthday this year with a birthday party for him and his friends.  He was so excited when he arrived at his birthday party (we held it at Chick-Fil-A) and saw them setting the tables and he couldn't get over his birthday cake.  My son was also just beaming when the guests arrived and wished him a Happy Birthday!  It was so much fun to see him enjoying himself, eating his nuggets, drinking his juice and just as happy as can be.  His joy was truly evident when we placed his birthday cake in front of him and he just smiled from ear to ear while everyone sang Happy Birthday to him.  Since I took a video of this moment, my son loves to watch it over and over, and I have to admit I am more than glad to oblige.  In fact, I had it on a repeat loop on my computer for a while until even my son got tired of watching the video. 

He also had a chance to celebrate his birthday with his preschool classmates.  We provided miniature cupcakes and goodie bags for his class and although we were not there during the celebration - Daddy and I opted not to interrupt his regular school routine with our presence - his teachers told us he had a great time.  And I know he just had the biggest smile on his face when we picked him up from school that day.  

It was so great and encouraging to see him comprehend and understand (to a certain point - as only a 4 year old can understand) what this special day was all about.  For my son, this year was definitely a Happy Birthday.