Dearest Colton,
Tomorrow is our day to celebrate! We get to celebrate another year of life and
the anniversary of the coolest day ever!
There is nothing we’d rather do than celebrate YOU!
Because Jackson was our only experience at parenting, I had
nothing else to compare to and made the assumption that raising you would
mirror that. I almost laughed out loud
just typing that because my ignorance was humorous. Your entrance into this world was
foreshadowing at its finest and I should’ve realized it then. You came on your own time, with power, curiosity,
and a peacefulness that I will never forget.
To this today, that remains who you are.
You are strong both physically and in your thoughts and beliefs. That was obvious when you lifted your own
head during your AGPAR tests and has proven true time and time again when you
want something or disagree with us.
Your desire to discover the world around you is both endearing
and worrisome. You explore my makeup and
love to apply “lipstick” (chapstick) all over your face (and sometimes on the
carpet’s “face” as well). You let almost
nothing get in your way when you’re interested in something. Just recently, I found you standing on top of
a clothes hamper that you had turned upside down to use to reach the treat
shelf in the pantry. And the questioning
never stops from you! “Who live in that
house?” “Why those clouds move?” “Where did the plane go?” …..
I know you so well that I could turn in a doctoral thesis entitled
“THE Colton James” so I’ll try not to type forever. But I want you to know that I get you. If you’re reading this as a teenager and you’re
even starting to think that I might not understand, just stop right there. Although you look every bit like your daddy,
but you are my hard-headed, sensitive-skinned, playful, morning person. These commonalities are why we anger each
other to tears but they also bring us back together with sweet hugs and kisses. No matter what becomes of our strong
personalities, please know that you are so loved.
Other things I want you to know about your 3-year-old self: You are a people person and you converse like
an adult when it’s time to leave. You’re
the last one waving goodbye to guests as you yell, “Be safe!” or “Thanks for
visiting!”
You are a lover and aren't afraid to show affection to any
of your family members. We get so many cuddles,
hugs, and kisses from you and they’re usually unprompted. You’re often the initiator of a group hug and
you will shout its announcement as you pull us towards you.
You still suck your pointer finger but only when you’re
getting sleepy. You like to have a pillow
pet and a blanket to sleep but you aren't attached to one in particular. You still take an afternoon nap every day for
about 1.5 – 2 hours and then fall asleep around 8:00 each night. You are the first person in the house to wake
up and you’re happy every morning!
You love to read books, sing songs, complete puzzles, and
build with blocks. You also love
wrestling with Daddy and Jackson and you like to egg them on by asking, “Want
to fight?”
The teacher in me notices an enthusiastic learner in
you. You can already count to 20 and you
rarely turn down an opportunity for problem-solving. Unfortunately, your interest in
potty-training hasn't arrived yet L You claim that you want to wear big boy
underwear yet you refuse to use the potty and we threw away so many pairs of
ruined underwear that we just went back to diapers.
Last, but not least, you are a perfect brother for
Jackson. You respect his space yet want
to do everything with him. You two are
best friends and the older you get the better your relationship seems to
get.
So, Happy 3rd Birthday to you, Colt. May it be a blessed year – and, as we sing
every night – Jesus loves you and we do, too!
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