5

It's hard to believe, but my beautiful little boy isn't so little anymore. Monkey turns five today, and like every birthday, I take extra time to reflect how far he's come. Five years ago today was the best day of my life, but also one of the scariest. Monkey came 8 weeks early and was a tiny little thing when we first met him. But his eagerness and strength were evident back then, and haven't changed since. What is different, though, is what an amazing child he has turned into. He is sensitive, loving, smart, stubborn, and curious. And I love everything about him. I love him more each day, and even though today is a day we get to officially celebrate my little man, I thank my lucky stars every day that I get to be his mommy.

In honor of Monkey, I thought I'd list 5 reasons why I love him.

1. He is always thinking. He will bring up things that happened months ago and asks questions about topics that I didn't even know he was interested in. He will often call me into his room after he went to bed to share a story, and aks me if I remember when..., or inquire about a random bit of information.

2. He is full of energy. He loves to dance, run, jump off of tall pieces of furniture, climb, etc. He sets up races around the house, shakes his money maker, and is a lover of the game jumping pillows. At the same time though, he is very cautious and thinks about everything before he does it.

3. He's a lover. He is a cuddler, a kisser, and a hugger. He tells us all the time how much he loves us and means it. And he has to have at least 2 or more kisses before anyone leaves our house.

4. He is a great big brother. He takes care of Spike, teaches him things, worries about him, and tries to include him when he's playing. He's been know to smack him every so often, but you can't deny his love for his brother:).

5. He's hilarious. Some of the things that come out of his mouth have me laughing so hard I'm crying. He shakes his little booty to make me laugh. And he's at an age where he gets why things are funny, and has developed some great comedic timing.

Andy and I are both madly in love with our son. Happy Birthday Monkey!

(And he really puts himself in these poses! We don't ask him, I promise:)!