Little Boy Blue

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” -Elizabeth Stone*

Stephen is three today! He is the apple of my eye and brings me joy in my life. At our house his nickname is "Little Boy Blue" or "Blue." Take a look at those eyes and you can see why. I love to look at his sweet little face as he sleeps and admire his profile (which I think is near perfection). It takes my breath away to see how fast he has grown and my prayer is that someday after I die I will be able to remember with perfection all of those sweet moments that slip through my fingers. The quote from Elizabeth Stone pretty much describes how I feel as a mother. That scary and great privilege of motherhood all started with the birth of my little Stephen.

My little man is incredibly independent and likes to be in charge. If it isn't his idea, it isn't good. He will say "NO!" and then turn around two seconds later and ask for the very same thing he just rejected. He also likes to be a little helper - he is my designated toilet paper and paper towel put-away-er. He loves to read books on his own and have books read to him. He LOVES to play outside but can also veg in front of a movie all day if I let him. He currently is into Superman and Buzz Lightyear. Another favorite activity is jumping off of the step stool while pretending to be Superman or while just being Stephen. He loves to build towers out of unexpected items - stacking markers, books, food items, or pillows and couch cushions. Stephen loves to wrestle with his daddy - no day is complete without a rough housing session. Usually it starts out with Stephen saying "I want to run with you daddy," and ends in a crazy throw-down. He is very sensitive to others' emotions and when I am frustrated or sad he will ask "are you okay mommy?" I love his sense of self - if you tell him that he is a cutie pie or a candy monster, or ask if he is your little baby or big boy he will often respond, "NO! I'm just Stephen!!" I am so glad that he is my Stephen!!!

* This quote was totally stolen from my friend Stacie's blog from a post about her son's 3rd birthday...I really liked it...they say imitation is the highest form of flattery! Thanks Stacie!