Happy 5th Birthday, Gavin!

Wow. Five years.

It just seemed like last week you were just learning to sleep in your big-boy bed and coming into our room at odd hours of the night, barely as tall as our bed. Then I suddenly noticed Saturday when you came in and woke me up while I was napping, that you had gotten so tall and are now head and shoulders above the height of our mattress. When did that happen?

Somewhere in-between you became a fantastic big brother, coming to Cooper’s aid anytime he fell or bumped his head, you grew out of toddler-sized clothes, started getting picky about what you wore and how you styled your hair, and, with the help of speech/auditory therapy, found your words. Now, instead of struggling to understand what you mean with the few words you utter, we’re struggling to get you to stop talking! And we’re so glad that you can now share more of your silly stories. This big change alone seems to have made you seem older, more mature, and more confident. You took the change in daycare centers like a champ and without a single panicky crying fit, and you’re slowly adjusting to other big changes with less trepidation as it seems you better understand what is going on. It also seems that having your little brother around has given you an extra measure of courage as you seem to relish showing him the way ahead, even if it’s new ground for you as well.

In all, you have had an amazing year. And while I’m a bit nostalgic for the days when I was home with you after your birth, or the days we’d spend dancing to 70’s funk/disco music when you were a silly toddler, I cannot wait to see what the coming years bring for you.

I love you buddy!