avery | 4 years

***Disclaimer***
If you are sensitive to people bragging/gushing/going on and on about their children, you might want to skip this post.

Avery, my son, you are 4 years old today. The little boy you have grown into amazes me each and every day. It's hard for me to believe that this magical little boy is mine. I am so proud of all your qualities, who you are and who you are not. I hardly know where to start.

You are optimistic, interested in EVERYTHING and look at the world through the true eyes of a child. Your innocence has not yet been tainted by a more grown-up life and I cherish that. Everything is an adventure. You are never judgmental. You are happy. You are joyful. You are well-adjusted. You go with the flow. You are helpful. You ask endless questions. You love your friends. You are kind. You are smart.

You are also the best big brother. I think that this is what makes me the most proud.You ask about Vivi before you get out of bed, take care of her, make sure things are fair, you share your water and snacks without asking. You love your Sister so much, speak to her in a way she understands, are unendingly affectionate with her, show patience with her 1 year old ways, seem to just 'get' how babies are and rarely get frustrated with her. When you do get frustrated, your go-to statement is that you don't want to be her big brother anymore, and I'm okay with you saying that. First of all, it's not really something you can actually change, but also, you are using words to describe your feelings, not acting out physically by hitting or pushing. I think this is actually very mature.

At 4, you are full-on reading. I barely need to use my finger to point to the words. You read Daddy a 31 page book the other night. We have even changed our before bed book routine, now it's we read one, you read one. Your little brain is in overdrive. You are able to make interesting connections between disparate ideas. Your observances are astounding. You can count to 1000 with just a little help. You understand basic math, patterns, cause and effect, time, and your vocabulary is immense.

You are not however terribly artistic even though you love crafts. You are not aggressive. You are not inherently a leader. You are not wild and crazy. You are not mean. 


When I asked you what you thought being 4 would be like you said that you would be a better listener and get more Avery shows.

Avery, Daddy and I love you so much and hope you continue to grow in to the amazing person we already see. We hope you have the perspective and perseverance to navigate life's ups and downs. We hope you find passion and develop interests that keep your life meaningful and fulfilling. We hope you value the relationships you have and are willing to put in the work that they sometimes require. We hope you learn that the most worthwhile things in life are those that you have to work really hard for. We hope your life is well-rounded and satisfying.

We hope you always know how much we love you.

Stats:
Weight: 38lbs 2oz | 60%
Height: 40.5" | 50%