4 Years Old

It would have been more appropriate for my little ray of sunshine to have been born at the crack of dawn instead of nearly midnight. You, my dear boy, are the epitome of a morning person and I love it (except for maybe those first few sleep deprived weeks of baby sister waking up every three hours). I also love going in at the first sound of "Mama, I'm awake now!" and seeing your little body pop up and start the day jumping.

Gavin Liam, you have been nothing but joy these past four years. Once you got the smiling thing down after a few weeks of being born, you have not let up.

  

The dimple on your face is an old friend who gets little rest time. I'm not sure there are many kids who give two hugs, one on each side. Maybe it has something to do with your French history. As I was looking through our picture files, I found this one and couldn't resist posting it. Even then, you were a character.

Your mommy and daddy, grandparents, aunts and uncles alike have known what a caring boy you are, but I think you brought it to a whole new level when your sister was born. The one you affectionately call "Ava Grace Grace" is the recipient of many pats on the head, hand holding and talks from a four year old who speaks like a 30 year old baby talker.  Hmm, wonder where you get that from.

 

We still think your sister is trying to figure you out by the looks she gives you. I have a feeling it's going to be an interesting dynamic between the two of you.

You are definitely a boy's boy with your love of action figures, superheroes, and trains. Just today, you were asking me to help you hang from the ceiling fan because you wanted to climb like Spiderman. However, you know a good color when you see it and chose a pink spoon yesterday. Your mommy and daddy are amazed at your puzzle building skills. Other kids your age are also probably building 80 piece puzzles on their own, but in our minds we think it's unique for someone who just turned four.

 

I was trying to keep track of your funny sayings in a book I will one day give you, but I think I have already packed it. Here are a few you have said lately:

(Gavin's birthday fell on Father's Day this year.)
Poppy: Happy Birthday Gavin!
Gavin: Happy Birthday Poppy!
Us: No, tell Poppy, "Happy Father's Day."
Gavin: Happy Father's Day Poppy.
 Nee Nee: Happy Birthday Gavin!
Gavin: Happy Mother's Day Nee Nee!

Upon seeing broken down school buses, you said, "Those school buses are dead."
Nee Nee: They are not dead.
Gavin: They are if they don't exercise.

One day, I was giving you a hug and thinking about how big you were getting. I told you that you couldn't grow anymore (Daddy has joked that we should stop feeding you) because I wanted you to stay my baby. You promptly told me that you had to keep growing to get to five. When I asked you why five, you told me so that you could eat gum. I had told you this many, many months prior but it must have made an impression. I have a feeling I'll have to live up to my part of the bargain as long as we get it straight between now and then that it's "chew" gum.

Your vocabulary is taking off and many sentences begin with "Probably..." I can understand about 95% of what you say but that's "probably" because I'm around you all of the time. However, it took me awhile to figure out that "Thomas" = pajamas.

After you got your vaccines at your four year check up, I took you for some frozen yogurt. Upon seeing other boys at the frozen yogurt place, you said, "I bet those boys got their shots."

Speaking of check up, you're growing right we expected based on your growth history. You weigh 29.8 pounds (nearly 4th percentile) and are 38 inches tall (9th percentile).

You still sleep with Ra Ra and have been resisting sleeping under your sheets and comforter only wanting to be covered with the same lightweight blanket you have been using for the past three years.

We love you to the moon and back and more Gavin Liam!

Mama