My Baby Turns 4

My February was a total and complete fail in terms of keeping up with blogging.  I had to move our family, get ready for Jack's birthday, and get ready for a new baby PLUS take care of all of us and our assorted illnesses - ranging from strep to pink eye to colds and sinus infections.  Anyway, the bright spot to all of that was, in fact, Jack's birthday.

See, I'm not a girly-girl in most regards, but when it comes to my babies' birthdays I'm a total sap.

Like, for weeks ahead of time, the mention of their impending age makes me weepy.  I can't handle looking at baby photos and I put a disgusting amount of time into planning and executing their cakes and gifts and, for Jack, his party.  This year he was super excited to have all his friends come see his "big gray house" so I acquiesced to having his party in our home a scant week and a half after we moved.  It motivated me to get the place in order and put a massive crunch on my sanity, but it turned out really well and we had a great time with his buddies and their families!

Here are some photos (they're not super artistic and I haven't edited them at all, so don't call the photog police on me here, folks!):

I still can't get over that he's 4.  Sometimes I think, "He's ONLY 4???? How is that possible?" and other times I think, "How did he go from being a newborn to a 4 year old in like, a week?"  I mean, how does he say things like, "I'm a firefighter who uses the ladder.  You can tell by my designation." and then the next second curl up in my lap (what's left of it) and fall asleep cradled in my arms because he doesn't feel good?  How does my heart swell with pride at the bright little kid that's developing in front of me and ache with loss of the "baby" that turned my world upside down and changed the entire trajectory of my life? How is each birthday such a dichotomy of triumph and sadness?  Am I the only one who feels such mixed emotions on kiddos' birthdays?  Sigh. 

Anyway, more to come... I'm trying to get caught up before this baby (and no, I'm not withholding anything; she still doesn't have a name) arrives!