Baby turned 4 today...

Everyone is born with natural skills, talents, and abilities. Ethan Bennett is no acception to this rule. While Mozart was clearly destined to create beautiful music, and Einstein to create atomic bombs, I think it is safe to say that Ethan Bennett was obviously destined to become a cheerleader. The kid has joy and happiness oozing out of every pore in his body. The words that come out of his mouth have invisible exclamation points at the end of them!!!!!! He doesn't walk through life, he hops, skips, and jumps through life! And he has been in my life since 4 years ago today, when I gave birth to him.
The child who entered our family on July 31, 2004 was all red, bald on the top of his head, with a fringe of brown hair around the sides and back. He looked like a little monk. He looked like a little old man. He took his crying very seriously right away, too. When he was about to cry, he would frown and make the cutest pouty face first, so you knew the cry was coming, you could anticipate it, and then he would let it out full force. I've been in love ever since.
The name "Ethan" means strong. His middle name, "Bennett" means "little blessed one". He is both of those things. He has always been a very cuddly child; he loves to be held, snuggled, cuddled. I held him in my lap today and told him how much I love him, how he's my precious boy, and he says to me, through this goofy grin, "You're my pweshus gul." As much as I love being his "pweshus gul," I don't hold too tightly to that, or get my sense of self esteem from that. I know that these children are mine to raise for now, priceless gifts from God, because He has a plan for their lives. They are not mine to hold onto forever. If I do my job right, Ethan will hopefully become a strong man who is able to be a fantastic husband and father...and his wife will be his "pweshus gul;" that's the way it's supposed to be. (on a side note, I don't understand people who say things like "No one is good enough for my child." because I think that if someone loves my child and wants to commit her life to him, then that is the biggest compliment she can give him. She is obviously seeing the best in him, and I hope that I will be grateful that my child has someone to love, who loves him back, not having an attitude like she can never be good enough for "my baby." What-evuh.)
For now, he's just 4, though, and since his birthday falls on what is normally date night for hubby and me, we took him with us...and he was SOOO EXCITED!!!!! we went out for DINNER at Aqui's!!!! And when I told him we were going to the mall, he said "(gasp) I LOVE the mall!!!" And when we got to the mall, that child hopped, skipped, and jumped all the way through and around that mall, just sort of humming to himself under his breath. At one point, he decided to pretend to be a dog, and got down on all fours and was barking. I had to tell him that "Dogs are not allowed in the mall. Do you see any dogs?" so he stood up and asked "Are kangaroos allowed in the mall?" I said "I think so, if they are on two feet." So that settled that. We had a hopping kangaroo.
So happy birthday, Ethan Bennett. These past 4 years have been the best 4 years of my life. May you never lose your joy and zeal for life. Love, Mommy
P.S. Pictures are coming! Verlana is going to show me in person how to download the pictures from my camera, to the computer, to the blog. Awesome! Now I'm the excited one!!!!!