In the blink of an eye, my baby is 4. Everyday, he loses more of his baby-ness and becomes solidly a kid. A real life, independent, silly, charming, sassy kid.
It's been a long time since I've dedicated a post solely to Henry. It's hard to really describe where we are at -- he's probably how he's always been -- very black and white. So super sweet and charming and social one minute, and screaming in my face, angry and sassy the next. 3-years-old, especially the last six-months have been a bit tough for him. Henry is exerting his independence at every opportunity and he's not afraid to let us know how he feels about something.
But, still he's so much a baby. He carries his blankie everywhere, still sucks his bottom lip and touches my hair. He's a cuddler at heart and his love language is completely touch. Two seconds after screaming (and I mean screaming) in my face, he will plant the wettest sloppy boy kisses on my face.
Henry is so silly and has the most contagious laugh. But, he is also a bit anxious and can get fixated on things. Right now, airbags and their presence in our van cause him great anxiety. We talk about where they are, what they do and why the car has them, every time we drive.
Henry also has an amazing imagination. He lives for pretend play. He loves Spider-man and Star Wars. He loves peg people, small figures and Legos. He's obsessed with all things geography, telling time and writing his name. He's working hard to develop fine motor skills but still needs a little extra work with scissors, and writing. All of a sudden, he has an intense desire to read everything and is working on learning himself. He loves Nora more than I ever thought possible.
For as big as Henry's personality is, he is still my tiny guy. At his 4-year check, he was 36.5" (1.86%) and 30 lbs (. He's still wearing 24 month size pants and 3T shirts. But, he's still just perfect. He's still rear-facing in his car-seat, sleeps mostly through the night, dresses himself, and all that good stuff. I just can't wait for all the years ahead. As much as I miss my tiny baby Henry, preschooler Henry is pretty darn awesome too.
Happy Birthday {a few days late} buddy!