Happy 4th Birthday Grady!!!

Dear Grady,
        It seems like just yesterday when you were born and Mommy and Daddy first saw you and got to hold you and snuggle you on February 6th, 2007.  You were (and are still) the very best thing that ever happened to us.  You were a very sweet, good baby and continue to be a very sweet, loving and funny 4 year old.  Your intelligence amazes us and your sense of humor is sometimes so grown-up I can barely stand it.  People told me that time would fly by with you and they were right.  I can't believe all the cool things that you have experienced and can do on your own now!

        You know your letters and most of the letter sounds.  You are learning to write your name, but the "G" is pretty tricky still...  You are a perfectionist (I have no idea where you got this lovely trait from...) so I imagine you will pull a "Grady" and only write your name when you can do it perfectly!  You have done this with all other major milestones thus far... and when you do finally do something it seems like you have been doing it for years, no big deal to you.  You are a big-time talker and have a huge vocabulary!  You are really good at puzzles and have recently mastered the Wii and playing computer games with ease.  You can count to 13 perfectly and you can sing your ABC's.  You can get dressed and undressed easily, but you'd rather have someone else do it all for you.  You still need help with buttoning,fastening and zipping pants and jackets. 

        You still love Handy Manny, Disney, Special Agent Oso and Imagination Movers but have recently started to watch Dino Dan and full-length movies other than Cars such as Toy Story 3 and Kung Fu Panda.  You are very obsessed with all wild animals especially dinosaurs and are learning their names and facts about each one.  Brachiosaurus is your favorite!  You love to be read to, and pretend to read yourself.  You have really gotten into pretend play and go upstairs for sometimes an hour to play by yourself... however we would never know it because you are talking the whole time.  You make the cars and animals talk to each other and you act out scenes from movies with exact wording sometimes!  You are good at putting train tracks together and building with blocks. 

        You are a great sleeper still and take a nap everyday... thank you buddy!  You love going to Mrs. Stephanie's house every day... in the fall you will go to pre-school and I'm sure you will love it as well!  Brody is your very best friend and you also love the other kiddos at Steph's house... Ava, Sophia, Kate, Colton and Ella and Jackson too!  You also had bunches of fun with your cousins this summer and still talk about them! 

       
        You can ride a tricycle and bike with training wheels.  Your memory is amazing and you repeat EVERYTHING you hear... scary sometimes!  You are very excited for your Baby Brother to come... hopefully you will still be excited when he is actually here!  You ask lots of questions and want to know the real answers...  Your mind is very technical and scientific and your reasoning skills are amazing.  You told me the other day that you wanted to be a Paleontologist, Cowboy and Race Car Driver when you are big like Daddy.

        I am guessing you'll do something technical, but as long as you're happy I don't care what career you choose!    You are very athletic and I have a feeling you will be playing T-ball and soccer this Fall.  Your favorite sport is baseball and you love the Rangers... 

        You sometimes like to share and I think having a sibling will be somewhat challenging but WONDERFUL for you in the long run.  You have a kind heart and are very loving.  You love babies and helping Mommy and Daddy with anything.  You listen as well as any other 4 year old boy, although my mom and dad say I don't give you enough credit and that you are very well behaved.  You still love all food and are a great eater, except for melted cheese like on grilled cheese but your favorite food is pizza.... go figure!  You also love spaghetti, ice cream and all fruit!  

          You loved the beach this past summer and we can't wait to take you back this summer!  You also went skiing this Winter and did a GREAT job for being only 3.  Papa and Uncle Craig helped you and you had some private lessons.  You are very adventurous and love to try new things.... food, sports, playing with new kids, etc.  I hope you never lose this quality!!!
        Grady, you are a blessing to Daddy and Mommy's life.  We love you and everything about you... you are perfect in our eyes, even though nobody is perfect.  You always manage to bring a smile to our faces and I can't wait to see you each morning and get hugs or hear all about your day at Stephie's house.  You are always so excited about life and it's contagious!  You are smart and work hard and love your family so much.  We are so proud of you and can't wait to see what God has in store for you over the next few years.  
                                                    Hugs and Kisses to the ends of our fingers....
                                                    Love,
                                                    Mommy and Daddy