Aidan: a THREE year old!

Dear Aidan,

You turned 3 last month and I just don't know where the time has gone.  It seems like just yesterday you were kicking my tummy.  Daddy and I were so excited to meet you, our sweet baby boy!  When the doctor held you up for the first time and I saw your pink face and soft red hair, I was in love from the first moment.  Daddy was very proud holding you and showing you off.  I wanted to hold on to and guard that moment forever in my memory...how I felt with that first glance and hearing your first cries. 

Grandma and Pop Pop carried Connor in to get a peek at you while you lay in the nursery for the first time.  He was very curious about you.  He had never had a brother before.  (you've taught him a lot about that since then).

For the first few months, you seemed to be patient and content to sleep and eat.  There was so much noise and chaos at first, but you just took it all in stride.  We kept you most days in the pack-n-play in the kitchen or the den, right in the middle of all the action and conversation.

Around about 5 or 6 months, it seemed you woke up from your baby sleepiness.  You sometimes fretted at night....I was sure that you were starting to teethe. 

After you were about a year and a half and you were still waking in the middle of the night fairly regularly, I became convinced you simply wanted some one-on-one time with us and a little cuddle.  It was a bit exhausting for me and daddy, but you were such a sweet and smiley boy that we hardly noticed.

Aidan means 'fiery' and Samuel was picked because Hannah's son in the Bible was Samuel and it means 'God heard'.  Imagine: a passionate, fiery, answer to prayer from God.  That's what you are Aidan...down to the very last drop of your being.  If something makes you mad, you explode and are overcome sometimes with your anger; then, as soon as you've gotten rid of all that 'fire', you are so quick to apologize, smile, and hug.  Aidan, you are so easy-going--a quality that even I envy as I don't always approach life with the happy, optimistic, and forgiving temperment that I see in you (even as a child of three, you are God's witness to your Mama!).  You love your family and your trust is a marvel to me...especially, your trust and faith in Connor (despite y'all's repeated quarrels).  Holding a grudge is unheard-of for you. 

You've so much confidence!  When unfamiliar adults or kids are around, you answer their questions, look them in the eye, laugh surely, and join in new games...You got THAT from Daddy!  I pray that you will always be that little sunshine that fills the room with light.

Right now in your three-ness, Aidan, you like:

• cars, trucks, planes, and basically anything with wheels. You scoot and drive your vehicles over the carpet and couch and make little rubbling sound effects for them (never did we teach you this--you've got an innate and passionate understanding for how they work)
• peaches, grapes, apples, pears, mac 'n cheese, and nutella. My sweet boy is also crazy about sweets--you reach for smarties and suckers from our 'magic box'.
• no, you love for Mama to do EVERYTHING for/with you. Daddy gets quite the complex when you shoo his kisses away whenever I'm in the room or insist that I change your diaper, not him. You call out for me in the morning...sometimes pretty insistently. But, seriously, I LOVE the look on your face when I open the bedroom door and see you see me--your face lights up in the most magnificent smile...even your eyes smile. Sometimes during the day, you'll just stop, look at me and say,"Mama, I just love you and I'm your best friend." I.LOVE.THAT.
• "Kipper" and "Phineas and Ferb" (I think that latter is b/c it's your brother's favorite).
• for us to read to you--hard to nail down your favorite book. Right now, it's a book from the library called _Convertibles_ (go figure)
• your friends. This is a new one just recently. I'm not necessarily hearing you come home from parent's day out talking about certain friends except the occasional mention of Armando. Mostly, you love those friends you see regularly while you're with us--like at church (Clark, Cooper, Abby, Noah, James, Luke.....). You are a very loyal and encouraging friend....especially, to your best friend, Connor.
• to forgive.  You are a great forgiver.  Now, you can get mighty angry. But, forgive--now that's something you do VERY WELL.  Everyday, you teach me how to love more by watching you.

We love you so much sweet Aid-ey!  You ARE my sunshine.