Happy birthday!!

So, Little Dude is 4 years old now. Time sure does fly! As you can see, Steelers was the theme for the party this year. I was so excited that he didn't choose a construction theme for the 3rd year in a row! And I even found football ice cream. How cool is that?!?

As excited as we are to celebrate another birthday, it's also a sad time for me. It seems like only yesterday he was born. And pulling out pictures from then is certainly not helping my current state of emotions. With GG, it wasn't nearly as emotional. The year she turned 4 was the year Little Dude was born. It was hard seeing her growing up, but there was also another baby in the house to experience those early years with again. Now there is no other baby in the house. I do not miss the late night feedings or all the diapers. It's also a lot easier to travel now. Instead of packing a huge diaper bag, all we need is a change of clothes. While I don't miss the things that come with a baby, I miss being able to take care of another person.

Little Dude is now at the age of independence. I think it's also safe to say he is potty trained (day and night). It gives me a great sense of pride to know that we did a good job in shaping this little boy into an independent person and I am looking forward to teaching him new things and watching him continue to grow. And this is not all about Little Dude. GG continues to grow every day and has a love for learning. We are also proud to be a part of her continued growth!

It's just very emotional for me to grasp to concept that the baby days are done. We have agreed to not have anymore kids, and I swear I am fine with that. But from a biological standpoint, it is a woman's job to have babies. Being pregnant is an experience that only a woman can have and unless you've been there, you cannot understand the emotions that go along with it. So as much as I loved being pregnant, I have to look at this rationally. We are (I am) happy as a family of 4. It takes a lot of work (and money) to have a baby and I do not think I want to go through that again.

So before I ramble on more than I already have, I am very happy to have 2 wonderful children. I would not change a thing and I am looking forward to watching my children grow and be a part of it. But I also miss the old days.

Happy birthday, Little Dude. And here's to many more!