08 Oct Happy 4th Birthday Luci!

My baby girl, Luci is turning 4 years old!  It’s my baby’s birthday and I’m making this about me.

I have never been one of those Moms who falls to pieces with every milestone.  If that’s you, don’t take offense, it’s probably just my own personal defense mechanism so that I don’t have a public breakdown because of all the things that I miss as a working Mom.  For real.  But in the meantime, as other Moms were wiping their tears as they dropped their babies off at Preschool, I was high-tailing it home so I could get an awesome nap in before I had to pick them up.  While parents were sniffling at their child’s first Christmas concert, I was dying laughing at the kids antics.  When Clark graduated from his little Preschool, I was delighted.  There were no tears here.

I Was Not Going to be THAT Mom

I had decided a long time ago that I was not going to be that Mom.  It was not going to be a sad experience to watch my babies growing up.  I had decided that I was going to enjoy every stage, every moment, every year. And I was doing quite well with my master plan, until Luci goes and decides to turn 4 YEARS OLD!

A Brilliant Beam of Sunshine

Seriously, this little girl is a character.  She’s smart and silly, with the craziest sense of humor.  She’s stubborn and pig-headed (and has the cutest pig-tails), but I can’t get upset at her for this, because it is so clearly straight from me.  She bursts out with wild volleys of affection when she can no longer contain her exuberance – and we may all do this back, because she’s such a lovable, sweet little girl.  She is a brilliant beam of sunshine in our days and I wouldn’t change a single thing about her.

The Sad Realization That a Certain Season of Life is Over

But when your baby turns 4, there comes a sad little realization that a certain season of your life is finished.  It’s a moment when you have to face the fact there there will be no more babies in your home.  It’s a moment when you forget the fussy evenings, the sleepless nights, the massive volume of diapers and spit-up and you only remember the good.

You only remember the evenings when you got to cuddle them for hours until they fell asleep in your arms, and the nights that you took them to bed with you so that you could be safe and warm and happy together as you all fell asleep.  You remember the playful baths, the baby giggles and slobbery kisses, the chubby cheeks and sweet baby feet.

Moving on is hard.  It brings a twinge of sadness.  And I realize for all I said before, I am one of THOSE MOMS after all.  For all I have to say, I am no different, no better and no worse.  I have LOVED having babies in our home and the thought of moving on from this stage is not easy.

But I’m not going to cry.  I’m going to enjoy Luci’s day with her.

How can I not enjoy the day with this girl?  She lives in the moment.  She doesn’t think of how things used to be, and she experiences the present with each of its’ joys.

So I’m taking a lesson from Luci, today.  Children are a great reminder of how to live our lives.  They focus on the moment.  They are constantly experiencing new things, and they move into the future with anticipation.

Happy 4th Birthday Luci!

We made Luci an elephant birthday cake, sang Happy Birthday – she joined in, singing in her new cat’s voice, she blew out her candles and enjoyed her birthday cake with gusto!

I am Blessed

When I see my husband and our children gathered at the table, I am often reminded of just 10 years ago, when I lived in this very house alone.  I had not met my husband, I had no children and the house was empty.  A shell with furniture.  Now, 10 years later it is bursting with life, squeals of laughter, little running feet…  and these three people who fill my heart with happiness and joy every single day.

So, no tears today!  I now have a 4 year old baby and I am blessed.  Yes.  I am truly blessed.

Happy 4th birthday, Luci!

Want to see Luci’s 3rd birthday? Click HERE to see her pumpkin patch and Frozen-themed birthday. I’m not sure how one year passed so quickly!