This boy...

Four.  My Jamie Bug is turning FOUR! My birthday tradition for each of my kids is to sit down and look at their baby pictures and take in all that has happened in the previous year.  As I was looking through James' pictures, I realized that this is the year "it" happened.  You know, that year where they change SO much....looks, attitude, personality, and all.  The difference between his 3-year old picture and 4-year old picture is staggering to me.  Not only have his bright blue eyes taken on a greyish-green hue, but his curly surfer hair is now (by his choice) shaggy and short.  He's speaking more clearly, imagining more vividly, and overall just growing up.  The things I love most about James:
1. James still lets me baby him, and he WANTS it!!!  He loves warm milk in a sippy cup, he wants to be held, carried, and constantly touched.  He loves me to lay with him at night, sing him lullabies, and rub his back. 
2.  He understands love and affection.  He randomly tells our family "I love you".  He is concerned about Mommy and Daddy being happy....when he's in trouble, he will ask "are you happy at me now?"  He hugs and hugs and hugs us.  He loves to hug on Jack most of all.
3.  He was born to be a brother.  As the middle child, James has never known "on my own".  He loves to play with Jack and looks up to him as his hero.  They are the best of friends 90% of the time, and he doesn't want to go ANYWHERE without Jack.  He's even been moved into Jack's class at church and at daycare, because they love to be together.  He and Joey butt heads a little more often, but he's affectionate toward her, and always brings her a replacement toy when he's snatched the one she was originally playing with :)
4.  His imagination is wild, and I'm not sure he knows it's an imagination!  Ha!  Straight faced and serious as ever, he will recount stories of his day that include wild animals, jedi knights, and super heroes.  A perfect example:  last night I was giving him a bath and saw several fresh scratches up his forearm with an accompanying bruise.  Me - "James! What happened to your arm?"  James - "I was outside and a tiger came and scratched my arm.  A real one.  That's what happened to me. Tigers are not nice." 

James' favorite things:
1. Food:  Fruit snacks (still!), spaghetti o's with meatballs, and warm milk
2. Shows:  Go Diego Go
3. Toys/costumes:  Currently Avengers, but typically any action hero that he and Jack are obsessed with at the moment.  Over the last year, that has included:  Superman, Star Wars, Power Rangers, and the Avengers.
4.  Place: Being home!  James loves the Science Spectrum, Jumping Jungle, and the gym, but he has always been my home-body, and he is equally content to stay at home playing on the trampoline.
5.  "Pets"....he loves stuffed animals and calls them his "pets".  He likes to put diapers on them and take care of them like a daddy.
6.  Games:  He loves to play on PBSkids.com, Curious George games are his fave.  He also loves Candy Land.
7.  Friends:  Of course Jack is his BFF, but he also loves to play with Paigey ("my best fwiend")
8.  Words:  Awkward is his word of the day for the last few weeks.  It's hilarious when he refers to things as awkward. 
9.  Music:  he loves to play instruments, and listen to music.  He's got an ear for it!
10.  Books:  his favorite book is "Duck at the Door".  It's a short little scholastic book about a duck who comes to live in a house with a family for the winter.  I'm not sure what he loves so much about it, but it's always his first pick!

Oh Jamie, I could go on and on. Your life is a gift, and it's such an adventure!  You are the child that has taught me the most about myself and about parenting.  Mommy and Daddy love you so much, and we hope you have a Happy Happy Happy 4th Birthday!!!

 

July 14, 2008 at 1:50pm

 

1 year old

2 years old

 3 years old

 

 4 years old