Dear William (39 months)

Dear William,

Today you are 39 months old!

We enjoyed some wonderful fall hiking this month.

 

We took a trip to Illinois where you visited with some of your cousins.

 

Back at home in St. Louis, you finished up your gymnastics class.  You got to wear a costume for the last day.

 

You also got to wear your costume when we went to Boo at the Zoo, a special night-time party at the St. Louis Zoo.

 

You really liked the Fragile Forest exhibit because there were lights and bubbles.

You spent some time checking out a steam engine.

Then we had Halloween, and you got to wear your costume again.

 

You got tired while we were out Trick-or-Treating.

 

You really enjoyed having candy in your "punkin."  When you eat a good dinner, you get to choose a piece of candy to have for dessert.  You get so excited about this.  You say, "I want to go have punkin on the couch."  And you sit there on the couch with your pumpkin, selecting your candy.  You are very sweet.

 

This month, you frequently pushed the limits of your bedtime by taking forever to choose a story.

 

You also demonstrated how well you can dance.

We went to a Dance Marathon on campus, where you didn't actually dance, but you did go through a Bounce House with your dad about 500 times.

You got tired on the way home.

William, I think you have slept in bed with us every night this month. Aside from the week that your dad was on a work trip and I didn't even try to get you to sleep in your own room, you have always started out in your bed. But you wake up somewhere between 2 and 5am and come in to join us. You pad across the floor and stand at our open doorway, breathing heavily, and wait to be admitted. I fear that one day I might not wake up to the sound of your breathing, and I wonder if you would stand there for hours. It worries me. I have told you repeatedly that you can just come on into our room, or at the very least you can say, "Mommy, can I come in?" because my answer will always be yes. But so far you have not done these things. You just breathe until I wake up.

After I hear you and tell you to come in, you run into the room and vault onto the bed. Then you situate yourself between your daddy and me. You even have a little pillow that you use just for sleeping with us. Sometimes you want me to spoon you, sometimes you want me to hold you tummy to tummy. If your feet are cold, you wedge them between my knees. Within seconds, you are fast asleep. You snore, you drool, and you take up more than your fair share of space in the bed. I never sleep very well after you have joined us, William, but I don't mind.

I love these moments when I get to hold you. The other day I was running early in the morning (as I often do), and I saw 16 or 17-year old boy come out the front door of his house, bound down the porch steps, then get into his car and drive away to school. You're going to be that big someday. I need to hold you while I still can.

 

This morning was the best. I woke up before you and watched as your eyelids fluttered open in the dim light of the room. When you saw me, your whole face burst into joy. You threw your arms around me and whispered "Mommy!" Then with your lips pressed against my ear, you sang me your morning song: "Morning, Mommy, how are you? How are you today?" And I told you, "I'm good, William!"

Love you,

Your mom