Birthday Letter to Wyatt

April 27, 2018

Today you called me Mom.

Not Mama, not Mommy.

MOM.

I stopped in my tracks and looked over at you and took you all in.

You’ve arrived at boyhood.

Long gone are those chubby cheeks. Your round roll-y legs have stretched out into lanky limbs. Your tiny potbelly has been replaced by the slightest lines of muscles. You have freckles sprinkled all over the bridge of your nose from playing out in the sunshine. You need help for less and less as the days roll by.

While I miss the sweet details of what used to be, I’m thoroughly enjoying this little boy that you are becoming.

Often people tell me how sweet you are, how sincerely joyful you are. You are those things Wyatt and so much more. You are genuinely excited to see people and you are always so welcoming. You are an includer by nature. When something delights you, which is very often, it is written all over every inch of your face. When you’re excited or having fun, you jump around on your tiptoes in this little happy dance.

Just a few nights ago I had to miss bedtime. At around 3am you called me to your room and stood on your bed and wrapped your arms around my neck, whispering in my ear “I love you mama, I missed you.” Then you sweetly climbed back in bed and went to sleep. These little moments with you give me life. You made me a Mama and it is now my very favorite name.

You flawlessly became a big brother to your little sister this year. Even though people constantly warned me about how hard this transition would be, it was a breeze and that is all you little boy! You were so confident in who you are and even more importantly, you were so confident in our bond that this change wasn’t a threat to you! I’ll never forget walking in your room before we left for the hospital to tell you the baby is coming and you jumped up on your bed and clapped your hands and said “hoorayyy my baby is coming!!!” You were accepting, welcoming, loving. You saw her as an addition to your world, not a subtraction. I’m forever grateful for how easy you made that for us!

You loved her the second you met her, you help me care for her, you constantly kiss her. I literally could not have dreamt of that transition going better than it did. I kept waiting for you to freak out and you never did. You are constant, just like your daddy. When she slept in one morning at about 3 weeks old you came in and said “We’re so proud of you!!”. When she is crying you pet her head and say, “brothers here, you’re safe”. (hold on while I ugly cry) You truly are her biggest fan and the feeling is so mutual.

She is so incredibly lucky to have you as her big brother.

You are sensitive and sweet. You are quick to apologize when you’ve made a bad choice. You want everyone to be your friend, which will probably provide you some heartache in the future but know you are more than enough and be confident in your kindness. For you, Wyatt, are genuinely kind and the world is in constant need of that. You love holidays. You love treats and lemonade. You are a total Mama’s boy and I will hold onto that as long as I possibly can!

This is such a big year for you. You will start Kindergarten in the Fall and boy will I miss you during the day. I know that you will thrive because being with friends is one of your most favorite things. I can’t wait to see you in your little uniform.

I love you so much Wyatt. I’m delighted at the sweet little boy you are becoming and I pray that God continues to shape you into a strong and faithful young man.

Until then, Ill keep snuggling you when you ask and I’ll lay with you at night until I no longer fit at the foot of that bed.

I’m so proud to be your Mama.

Happy 5th Birthday Wyatt!

We recently took Wyatt to Disneyland, just the three of us. It was such a memorable trip, not only because we got precious one-on-one time to celebrate our sweet boy but we got to spend a whole day at the park with some of our favorite friends!! If you know Wyatt, this was a big deal to have his best buddy at California Adventure with him. We had THE best time. Both Kevin and I will always remember the moment that Wyatt rode Star Tours. It was like he literally was living out his imagination that he plays everyday at home. He yelled and screamed and truly thought it was real and that he had defeated the bad guys (sorry I don’t know Star Wars!) and was a defender of the galaxy! Kevin and I watched HIM the whole time. I may or may not have cried. Shocker. We will truly cherish that trip forever! Disneyland will always be magical to me but for a 5 year old, it is the very best.