Someone pinch me.....is my
“baby boy” seriously 3 already?!?! Okay, at some point I will stop calling
you my baby, at least in front of others.
It feels like
just yesterday I was writing a letter to you on your first and second birthdays.
A minute ago we were celebrating the fact that you were finally walking—right
around the time you turned 18 months—and now? fast forward (I mean REALLLLY FAST) 3 years and I’m so in love
with this character that you have become.
It’s so bittersweet how I
anxiously await you to grow, hoping you shape and mold into a great person and
yet at the same time I yearn for the seconds to slow and the sun to not set
proof that another day ticked on by… hoping, wishing you will stay this shape
and this small and this little forever…
As cliché as it sounds, on
this day I am going to reminisce the day you were born.
Three years ago, after 17 hours of labor,
at 5:17 PM, my perfect 8.1-pound gorgeous baby boy graced this planet with his
presence. The world’s been a better and brighter place since then. You
were perfect! And I’m not just saying that because I’m your mom. Look at that
face…
My heart exploded the moment I saw you and
you immediately grabbed onto my fingers and held on for your dear life. I
remember that moment so clearly (probably because I revisited my pictures,
videos, and blogs few minutes ago), your tiny hands wrapped around my
fingertips and I knew immediately our connection would be forever. So many
things racing through my mind but most of all I just wanted you to know that I
would love you forever and that I would do everything in my power to protect
you.
I remember our first night at the hospital,
when you laid next to me while I watched you sleep. Sounds creepier than it
was. I felt the rhythm of your breathing. I gazed at the precious swoop of your
nose, the soft flutter of your eyelashes, the length of your fingers, the
curves of your cheeks. I soaked in all the little details of you.
Over the last year you’ve really shown us
what you’re interested in. You love trains, cars, trucks, bikes… basically,
anything with wheels. You have a real fascination with race cars, cranes, and
garbage trucks. Coming up with a theme for your room wasn’t too hard for us
(though, your dad really wanted to go with Garbage truck). Your newest fascination
is Super Wings and Mater. It’s so funny how you pick up nuances and apply them
in real life. Like the other day, we went to Shilpi and Abhi’s house and you
rang the bell. When Shilpi didn’t answer the door after 3 rings, you immediately
uttered, “Oh no! It’s time to call the Super Wings!”
You’re crazy funny too. Like the other day,
this is what our conversation was:
You: Mom, you like Dizzy (a character from
Super Wings)?
Me: No, I like Jet (another character from
Super Wings)
You: No mom, you like Dizzy.
Me: No Ansh, I like Jet
You: No, Ansh like Dizzy, Mom like Dizzy
Me: No, mom like Mater
You: Moooom! Mater is not Super Wings. Silly Mom!
Me: (I laughed). Okay, I like Dizzy
You: You like Dizzy, I like Dizzy,
Everybody like Dizzy! Yay!
When did you start speaking full sentences
hon?
You are a complete and
utter Mama’s boy. Kind and sweet are just a few adjectives I use to describe
your personality. It is engrained within you to take care of me and I’m not
quite sure how that came to be. I feel safe with you since the little age of 2.
Watching out for your Mama and making sure I’m okay. You have brought tears to
my eyes at some of the things your little mind tells me. Sometimes when I am upset,
and you say, “Mama, you need a hug?”… You know how to make your Mama turn into
absolute and utter MUSH.
No matter how hard the week was—or how hard the
year’s been for us—you will always put a smile on my face. You are the reason I
can get through the tough times; you’re my motivation for everything. I’m
grateful every day of my life for this amazing, perfect little creature we
created.
Sharing.
Taking turns. Looking out for others. Gentle with babies. Not afraid of the
dark but surely scared of pressure cooker. Curious. Motivated. Determined. And
BUSY. Your hands must be in it all. You enjoy when you are included in on big
people activities. You love hanging out with my dance buddies. As soon as I
pick you up from Daycare, you insist that I take you to meet “friends”. You
know a few names and are still learning others. You know Muggi, Sumi, Yogesh,
Bani, Mittin, and Sat(ish). Others are still “friends”, but you enjoy hanging
out with them. This makes things much easier for me coz I am least worried
about you when I’m in dance class. I know you’ll be fine. You make my life easy.
A few months ago, it hit me how independent you’ve
become.
Like the other day, you were trying to Potty train
me. You wanted to hold my hand and guide me 😊 That was hilarious and we both burst into laughter.
You don’t need me for everything anymore, and
that’s hard on a mom. I thought parenting would get easier…it has in many ways,
but sometimes I miss the days when you couldn’t do anything without me. Seeing
you grow into this well-mannered, kind-hearted person, loving preschool, making
friends on your own, developing your own identity, your own jokes, your own
laugh, a great imagination and ambition to try to do everything yourself… I
love the person you’ve become, but can you slow down a little?
The thing about you that’s never changed is your
excitement over everyday things, like “green Juice”. You’ve had that every day
since you were 1 year old, yet still react like it’s the first time. You have
what we call your “excited face” and it’s truly the best. It’s the same
excitement when I come to pick you up from daycare. You run towards me and your
first words are, “Mom, Green juice and chocolate?”
Last night we both curled
up in your bed, read bed time stories, sang songs, and you fell asleep on my
belly. I don’t always allow this, but I make exceptions when you aren’t feeling
too well or are really in need of some extra cuddles. Or if I’m in need of some
extra cuddles. It’s mostly latter than former. You are so snuggly and sweet.
Today,
you’re getting wishes from across the world and it makes me very emotional. How
else are you supposed to feel when people celebrate, cherish and marvel at the
love of your life? You are already a giver, my love, and I want you to remember
that there’s no religion bigger than “LOVE”. And that’s how I wish to raise
you. Your religion is Love.
My hope for you this next year, is
that you continue to explore the things you love and try new things. I hope you
keep making more friends and show the world how bright your light shines. I’m
excited to see how much you learn and hear more of what you’re thinking about.
Everyone we know mentions how sweet
you are, and I hope you never lose that. I hope you grow up to be a polite,
brilliant, handsome young man who is kind to others.
I’m so proud to be your mommy. I
feel so lucky that you’re my son. Even though you give me a run for my money
sometimes, but you have so much joy just bursting out of you all the time. You
are the perfect little boy for me, and for that I’m so thankful.
Know that I’m always
here for you, and I love you more than you know! And you know what? No matter
how big you get, you’ll always be my baby.
With love from the
bottom of my heart,
Mommy
