Three

Mason,

I haven't blogged in two weeks but you're three today, so even though I have a million pictures and updates to catch up on, I have to momentarily skip all that to write a little letter for your birthday. At this exact time in 2008, I was probably in a ton pain and I know I was starving and scarfing down the first Big Mac I could get my hands on. You were so small and so fragile and I had no idea what to do with you. I'm sure you didn't really know what to do with me, either.

The amazing thing about being human is that you're constantly learning and growing and changing. I would imagine, say, a snail or an octopus or something can only really learn so much before they plateau and know everything they need to know to function in whatever life they set out to live. Not us, though. When I say "us", I mean you and I; I can't speak for the entire human race and I'm pretty sure some of them are happy with maintaining the same thought process as an octopus anyway, but I digress. You're curious. You want to learn and you want to know how everything works and why. You love reading and writing and watching bugs and mixing dirt and water to see what happens. We're a lot alike and we learn from each other.

Every day since we've met, I've learned something too. Most of the time I learn something about you - how smart you are, what makes you laugh, what makes you upset, how to brush your hair without a meltdown - but sometimes I learn something about me. I've learned that I can be really strong. Self-sufficient. Patient. I could go on and on, I'm sure, but the big thing for me is that I honestly had no idea what to do with you and now... I have no idea where I'd be without you. Maybe I'm really good at this. Or maybe it's just you. Maybe if you were any other kid I'd be crying in a corner somewhere without a clue about parenting. You make it easy and fun and I wouldn't trade it for anything. 1095 days have gone so much faster than I ever thought possible.

Happy birthday, baby. I love you.

Mommy