Andrew is 4 Today!

My dear, sweet little Andrew turns four today. He's so big, and yet still so little. It feels like he's been in my life forever, but these four years have also moved very fast.

Here are just four things I love about Andrew:

I love Andrew's gentle ways. He shows so much kindness for others around him, especially to his sister. He has been a wonderful role model to Eva, showing her how to share, take turns, and be sympathetic to others.

I love Andrew's fierce determination. He can be so persistent in seeking what he wants. I hope we can nurture and also harness this trait so that he can use it in productive ways and to his advantage as he gets older.

I love Andrew's love of learning. This boy loves books, computers, and science. I am so thankful that Andrew has taken of love of reading (from me), and he enjoys practically every book we own (probably over 300 children's books). He always looks forward to books during his quiet time and before bed. He also really enjoys computers and learning about them. We recently enrolled him in a computer class, and he is just thrilled with it. But, even better is Andrew's sense of curiosity. He wants to learn how things work and wants to understand the mechanics of things like his watch, the computer, his Spiderman birthday card that talks (thanks Kiera and Mia for that!).

I love Andrew's love for mommy. He still loves to cuddle and sits on my lap anytime I ask him. He still makes beautiful cooing sounds when I snuggle with him and tell him I love him. I also love that he's starting to become more independent, thanks to his time at preschool (and the great teachers there). It's so fun to watch him learn to make friends and to play so well with the other children at school.