To be totally honest I wasn’t going to write this post. I’ve been thinking about it since Friday- his REAL birthday. And I’ve been going back and forth. Do I? Don’t I? Do I? Tonight after dinner and talking to a good friend on the phone. I decided. I WILL. I saw him sitting there playing with his trains like he has all day long, and I thought I needed to capture him and who he was in that moment. I thought back on another friend of mine, who always writes these great posts about her kids on their birthdays…..and so Danae, thank you for giving me the idea. From this day on, on my kids birthdays, I’m going to write about them on that day, and write a letter just for them. Maybe when they’re 18 and getting ready to leave home, I’ll print them all out and put them in a special book for them. So here we go…..
Do you see him? Those blue eyes, decked out in his Thomas the Train pj’s…and you can’t see, but he also has Thomas the Train underwear. He’s going to be going to Pre School this year, and all he can talk about is finding a Thomas the Train Backpack. I better find one of those things or I’ll get the worst mommy of the year award! He’s going to be my first kid to go to Pre School. None of the others did, but somehow it seems right for him. Starting in September he’ll be gone 3 days a week for 3 hours. I just can’t believe he’s THREE!
As I was shooting a wedding this past weekend, I was taking pictures of a little boy, and I saw his chubby legs and his baby feet and suddenly I realized that Kasen didn’t have baby feet anymore. I thought he did, but nope. When I saw REAL baby feet, all chubby and square like, I realized that Kasen no longer had them. He had little boy feet. My baby is potty trained, talking up a storm, has an attitude and personality all his own and he’s now my littlest BOY!
Yesterday, we took it easy and celebrated his REAL birthday a little late. Kasen was really born on July 16, 2007. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was hugely preggo. If you know me well at all, you’ll know the complaints I started making at around 7 months along. Up until that point people were telling me I looked so good, how I hardly looked pregnant at all. But then 7 months came along. All of a sudden the front desk clerk at the military daycare was asking me every day if I had snuck a basketball down my shirt. Pretty soon it became a beach ball, and towards the end, he would just bug out his eyes and say “any day now Miss Katie”. It was embarassing! I could barely walk and I would hobble everywhere. When my maternity leave came, I would just park it on my couch at home, in a tank top and boy shorts because it was so hot, misting myself with a squirt bottle. Go ahead and take a laugh at the visual I just gave you- It makes me laugh even now. One night, the boys wanted to go out and ride bikes down our mountain of a driveway and so Nathan and I went out to sit at the top of the driveway while the other 2 boys were enjoying the late July evening. When it was time to go in, I stood up, and well…..that’s when it was time to go to the doctor- FINALLY!
Early the next morning, via my 3rd C-section, little Kasen Lee was welcomed into our family. He’s not so little anymore so here’s my thoughts to my little Kasen…
Dear 3 year old Kasen,
First I have to say I’m sorry I missed your birthday on Friday. I promise never to miss another birthday of yours because of work. I love you SOOOOO much. You came to our family right when we needed you the most. You make everyone so happy, even when your so full of sass! I love that you know every single character in Thomas the Train and how you line up your engines and play for hours. I love hearing you sing Veggie Tales one minute and BOOM BOOM POW the next minute. I love when you’re mad you yell “BUST MY BUFFERS” with the most angry look on your face like that phrase is going to offend anyone who’s offended you, and I really love how the 3 year old Kasen has no concept of loud and soft speaking, it’s all just LOUD. You love helping me whenever I ask and always do it willingly, even though I might find those shoes I just asked you to put in your closet on the stairs and you off riding your bike in the back yard. I appreciate your help with the laundry and how you always want to set the table for me. You SO want to be a big boy like your big brothers, but I secretly hope that you’ll always be the baby of the family. I REALLY appreciate how fast you potty trained, but I also secretly love that you climb in bed with daddy and I each morning around 3am and declare that our bed is YOUR bed. Thank you for deciding to give daddy and I OUR bed to us from the hours of 8pm-3am and I really love that you still willingly call me mommy but tell me that you are NOT a baby when I call you “baby boy”. I must remember when you tell me you are a “little boy” now not a baby boy. I love you so much and am so proud of the boy you’re growing into! You are the very best Kasen in the whole wide world!
♥ Mommy
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