Three

In the weeks leading up to my oldest son's first birthday I had time carved out to reflect, to remember, to intentionally set down those things I didn't want to leave behind. My baby had grown up so fast. I mused over his transition from baby to little boy. I couldn't believe it had gone in the blink of an eye.

In the days leading up to his second birthday, I cut his hair for the first time. He looked so grown up, so handsome; he was so spirited, so independent. And I said, "if I thought the baby days were leaving us behind last year, they are clearly long gone now."

Now, in the hours leading up to his third birthday, I look back at the pictures from a year ago and contradict my former declarations once again. Surely it was this year, these twelve quickly passing month that truly saw him move from baby to boy. After all, this is the year where he left behind so much of the baby routines for Big Boy things instead.

Nothing can really compare to that first year. It begins with an umbilical cord and ends with walking and first words. If that's not an amazing journey, I don't know what is. Of course, there's also the nine months the preceeds it - beginning with bodily fluid and ending up with a person.

But this Two-to-Three year is nothing to shake a stick at either.

We left diapers behind this year, the high chair, the sling, wispy baby curls, sign language and transition words, rocking chair, bottles, and cribs. Instead we have Big Boy Bed, Big Boy Pants, Big Boy Chair...

I have a friend (you know who you are!) that used to sing this homemade song "She was a baby baby baby...now she's in college college college." Three is much closer to Baby than to College. But on some days, I can hear the echo.