Happy birthday little boy

My little boy turned 2 this month. TWO. Dos. I still can’t believe it. When I look at him I see a little boy now. His baby-ness is almost gone. It’s behind us. Now life is officially going a 100 miles a minute it feels like. This boy of mine lives in the moment every day. Oh, if we could all live like that, right?! And not think about tomorrow or the past.

Right now, at his two-year mark, Mr. Jace loves the song, Hot Line Bling (I basically had it on repeat at his birthday party), he loves parfaits, and smoothies and grapes. He is ridiculously obsessed with water balloons and Thomas the Train, playing swords, putting on “daddoos” and going “ou-side”. He wrestles and plays basketball every day, and enjoys puzzles and projects around the house. Now I’m just waiting for him to say complete words and sentences, so I can understand what the poor kid wants. Oh, and anything on a stick he goes crazy for. Suckers, cake pops, you name it.

But when I cuddle him on his dinosaur pillow on the floor in his room before bed, with his star light on, his eyes slowly fading, I still see my baby. The chubby cheeks, the pure white skin, his little lips. He holds my hand (sometimes even strokes my cheek) and I rub his back. Even now at two, he isn’t afraid to get close and hug and kiss and snuggle. He loves to be near people. Makes me hopeful that he’ll always be a big baby on the inside, even as he continues to grow on the outside.

Happy birthday Jace Patrick. I love you so much it hurts.