Yesterday was Ashton’s 3rd birthday. Three years. While sometimes it feels like those years went by literally in the blink of an eye, there are other times that it feels like a lifetime. He has changed our family so drastically that I almost forget what life was like before him. When Ashton was born, I spent the first year writing down little everything and every month I would write him a letter with all the things he/we did together, the changes he went through, milestones, etc. I would also write him a letter on his birthday with the hopes that one day he will sit and read what his mama had to say.
His second year I did the same thing with the monthly letters, but going into this year, I stopped the monthly letters mainly because a lot of it was repetitive and he isn’t changing as drastically week to week as he was from 0-2. I still keep up with documenting important things like when he first used the potty (yes, theses are things that have gotten us really excited!) but I will always write him his yearly birthday letter. So, I thought I would share with you his letter this year. But first, let’s look at him through the years! These are from 1 week old to 1, 2 and now 3 years! He has changed so much from the tiny little baby!
My little monster,
Today you are three! I can’t believe I just wrote that number. Three years ago I couldn’t imagine getting to this day, it just seemed so far off. The day you were born, coming into this world a month early and not by your own choice, was a shock and whirlwind of events. The weeks following were filled with so much awe and love, but your Daddy and I were in pure survival mode, literally living in 3 hour time intervals, hoping we would make it to your next feeding, diaper change, nap. We hoped we would get to a day when we would know what feeling well rested felt like again and that we wouldn’t mess up too much along the way….and here we are now three years later and life looks a lot different.
You have changed a lot in this past year, but they weren’t as much physical changes, although you are growing taller at an alarming rate, but more internal. You have become your own little person with a great deal of personality and spunk. You have very clear likes and dislikes (which sometime change by the day) and love to voice your feelings to us about these things. Your intellect amazes me daily and I love to listen to you talk. You count to 30, you know your ABCs, and you speak with such clarity and vocabulary that strangers often ask how old you are. Where did you learn all these words?
You have never met a stranger, you try to befriend everyone you encounter by saying hi, telling them your name, which varies from just Ashton to Super Ashton, and how old you are, which is so ridiculously cute to watch. Where did this chatterbox come from? Neither your Daddy nor I would ever be labeled as chatty, but we love listening to your view of the world, what you see, how you are now making up stories and improvising with us, and the way you relate to the world is incredible. You have full on conversations with us and sometimes I sit back and wonder when all this happened. When did you become such a big boy?
You are incredibly perceptive to those around you, feeling when someone is sad or upset and you ask “Mama are you happy?” And if I am sad, you try to make me laugh with a funny face or a hug and kiss. You are most definitely a comedian, which both makes me laugh but worries me for the future. I already see you trying to get out of doing things with humor and you and your Dad are already ganging up on me, which means I am in for a long road with the two of you
You have a love of books, a hunger I hope you carry throughout your life. You choose your own books and often recite the words while we are reading them, your favorite being pretty much anything by Dr. Seuss. You can hold the phone and know how to call Gramma or your cousins to video chat and you will play with your trucks and trains for hours. You love music and hearing your sweet voice singing in the back seat when we drive home from daycare fills me with such joy. You also have some pretty sweet moves, which make me laugh when out of the blue you start dancing.
Over the past few weeks, you have honed your skills on how to throw an epic tantrum, which has both impressed, shocked and made us laugh. Your face twists and turns red, your tears rolls down your face and you squeeze your eyes so tight. I know that you are learning through your emotions, but it is terrible to see you struggle, even for the briefest of moments. You constantly keep reminding me that you are a “big boy” now, but you are still so little to me. I secretly love that you still want to be carried often, even though I joke that within the next two years, you will be as tall as me. I happily pick you up and carry you, knowing that far too soon; you will not want to be held by me. I cherish these sweet times because you can be incredibly challenging. You have brought me to tears with this part of your personality. You have a strong will and that can frustrate me to no end, especially since you rarely are this way with Daddy. I know it’s not really your fault; it is ingrained in who you are because you inherited it from me. It’s the fiery Irish and Italian in you. I just hope as you grow and mature that you will put that fire into something worthwhile and positive.
You are totally a Daddy’s boy. Daddy can do no wrong in your eyes and you would rather be with him over anyone else. While this makes me sad sometimes, I understand it. Daddy is so much more fun than I am and I hope as you grow, you take all the very best parts of him and make them a part of you. I know my time will come. I am still the one you cry for when you are sick or hurt, so that gives me a bit of hope for the future.
My sweet, sweet boy, you have made me a stronger, more forgiving and patient person and I thank you for all you teach me each and everyday because I certainly would not be me that I am right now without these past three years of you. I love you Ashton Liam…to the moon and back!
Love,
Mama
I will leave you with a picture of Ashton that I took last night when he got his very first bike! Sorry the lighting isn’t the greatest, we moved our cars out of the garage so he could test it out! He was a VERY happy boy!
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Question of the day
Tell me something good about your week–or just anything at all you want to share!
