Dear Cooper.

Dear Cooper, (aka. "Coopy", "Coop", "bug", "buggy") 

This past year has been the funnest one yet! You have hit milestones and grown in many ways. 

You mastered potty training (hallelujah!!!). After a stressful year of potty training, you decided that 3 was a good age to figure it all out.  Not only are you potty trained during the day, but you are now diaper free at night! 

You now communicate a lot and can tell detailed stories. And the expressions you make when you talk; you are so animated! There have been some great conversations with you. We've been able to start teaching you more about the "why" behind things. Talking with you is one of mine and daddy's favorite things to do. (Well, if you don't whine while you're talking.)

You are gaining some independence - whether you like it or not. I currently have to convince you to do some things on your own. Some days you fight for independence and some days you fight for me to pull up your pants. 

You live in the world of imagination. All day you are pretending to be a train traveling the tracks in Sodor, a ninja turtle fighting some bad guys, or in a Mario game battling to get the end of the level. Speaking of trains, ninja turtles, and Mario - those are you three obsessions. You focus on each one, rotating them in and out of focus every 2-3 months. 

And while you have grown in many ways, there are some cornerstones of you and your personality that I think will always be a part of you. 

You are funny. You always find a way to make people laugh and smile. Whether it be you telling a joke, talking funny with your animals, making silly face, or shaking your booty, you conquer making people smile. You love to be funny. You have said so yourself.

You are handsome. Four years later, and your looks still mesmerize me. You've got the clearest, brightest, bluest eyes. Your dimples stand out when you talk or smile. Together they are a killer combination. 

You are creative. You love to draw, paint, build things with blocks and legos, make up words, and you create story lines with your turtles, trains, and Mario. For example, today you said, "Mom, wouldn't it be fun if there was a toilet power on Mario and you could throw toilets at the bad guys?" 

You are encouraging. This is probably one of my most favorite things about you. It's quite heart-warming. You are quick to say "great job, mommy!" or "thanks for making this food, mommy!" or "you did a great job doing that, mommy!" You are one of my biggest fans. Thank you for lighting up my life with kind words.

You are smart. In fact, I have stopped "formally" teaching you because I want you to have something to learn when you start school. You are able to understand and pick up on things quickly. You can pretty well do/understand/recall things after it being shown or spoken to you one time. I marvel at the way you can write, color inside the lines, hold a writing utensil, count, recall letters, pick out letters in a word, and count. I love your brains.

You are athletic. This past year we tried swimming, t-ball, and soccer. Your ability to play sports is spot on. While your sportsmanship and teamwork leaves a lot to be desired, you can hit the balls, catch the balls, kick the balls, and swim well. You definitely improved from beginning to end in each one. 

You love to dance. You are a boy after my own heart! I love to dance with you. I love to hear you say "mom, this is one of my favorite songs." Then when I look at you and you are dancing your heart out after uttering that sentence - - - it makes my day. 

You make me smile. Your laughter, your silliness, and your desire to be funny all make me laugh. When I look at you sleeping, I smile. When I see you throwing a fit, I smile. Watching you grow and learn and try new things makes me smile. When I think about your future, I smile. When I think about the past 4 years, I smile. Every day I get to smile because of you. 

You are God's. This is one of the hardest for me to grasp sometimes. It's so easy for me to think that you are mine. But you aren't. You belong to God. You are His. He has entrusted you to me while we are alive here on earth. This year will be a new struggle for my mommy heart. I will watch you start preschool this fall. I will watch you spread your wings some more. There are so many fears that come with that, but knowing that you belong to God gives my mommy heart some rest as I watch you grow. My biggest prayer for you, one of my heart's deepest desires, is to see you take this truth into your own belief one day. I want you to live your life for and because of Christ. 

Cooper, your dimples, your blue eyes, and your vibrant personality still captivate me, as well as anyone who knows you. You are a very special boy with a bright future. The sky's the limit for you. I often ponder what you'll be like when you're older, what your interests will be, the relationship we will have. One of the most exciting things about you being another year older is getting to see the next steps this year. I'll get to be witness to sneak peeks of your future.  This year is sure to give us a bigger window into the man you are becoming. I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in store for you this year. 

Happy birthday, Bug. I love you. 

-Mom