Cabes!

Dear Caleb,

Happy, happy birthday sweet boy!  I am in complete denial that you are already six.  SIX!  When did that happen?

I remember the day you were born.  Boy, that was a tough day.  Hard, hard, hard!  But in the end I got you, and it was all worth it!  When I was pregnant with you I did not know if I was going to have a boy or girl, but I'm sure you can guess that I wanted a girl really bad.  I prayed and prayed that when you were born, if you were a boy, that I would not be resentful or sad to have another boy.  Well, I knew the Lord heard my prayers because the moment I first saw your sweet little face and held all nearly 11 pounds of you in my arms, I was absolutely and completely smitten!   SMITTEN!   I knew I didn't want any girl - I wanted you!- That huge warm creamy chunk of a baby!   I was MADLY in love with that sweet baby in my arms - Caleb Bryce!  

I still am!

Smitten.

You look like your father, which is a great thing, because I love that man!  Lucky you.  But unlike your father, you have the deepest big brown eyes I have ever seen, that look so striking against your bright blond hair.  But it is your smile, Caleb, you terrific wide grin that really pulls at my heart strings.  What a grin!  Especially now with that big grown up tooth right in front, right next to it's neighbor baby tooth which is just dangling there, hanging on for dear life.  That is you Caleb - just like your teeth, half grown up and half baby boy, and I want the baby part to hang on for dear life.  But that baby tooth will fall out in just days, and you are already well on your way to being a big kid. (A BIG big kid!)

But as much as I want you to be my Cabey Baby forever, at the same time I LOVE watching you grow and grow.  You are learning and trying so many new things.  You are reading and writing, learning taekwando and piano, and you LOVE it all and just soak it all in.  I am amazed at how much you want to learn new things, and better yet, you like to try new things.  You are definitely a hands-on kind of learner.  You watch EVERYTHING I do, whether it is art, stamping, cooking... everything.  Then you HAVE to try it yourself.  You can't help yourself.  And you usually do a great job with whatever it is.  You are going to be quite handy, and artistic!  Super artistic.  You can't NOT doodle all over your homework and every scrap of paper you can find.

I love how you thrust your lips forward instead of purse them when you want to kiss me.  I love how you always say "Loud to (allowed to)" instead of  "can", as in "I'm loud to snap my fingers" meaning "I can snap my fingers."  And you certainly CAN snap your fingers.  You have really been practicing, and are the best snapper in the whole family!  You have also really been practicing writing your name in cursive, ever since you decided on your own that you needed a signature.  I've no doubt your signature will be valuable one day, so it is a good thing that you start practicing it now.  

I love that you still love your blankie, even if you have worn out two of them to shreds and are on your third.  You love robots, and building incredible things with your legos.  You have a fantastic imagination, and spend a lot of time thinking.  "You know what, Mom,..." you always say, then invite me into that wonderful world of your imagination.  You can be dead serious about silly things, and purely silly about serious things.  But you are never dull and always a joy to have around.

Sweet Caleb!  I love you so much!  I love just who you are right now on your very first day of being six!  I remember how excited I was to turn six, because in my head, it meant I was growing up.  Well, Cabes, just don't be yanking on that dangling baby tooth today.  Soon enough, sweet boy.  Soon enough.  Give your Mama a few more days before growing up, OK?  Just a few more days!

I love you!

Love, Mom