Happy 5th Birthday, Avery!

My sweet baby bug,

I can hardly believe it. At 8:58 AM five years ago, the sweetest bundle entered our lives, and completed our family. My Avery Bug. Today you are FIVE years old! This birthday is such a milestone. You’re one whole hand! I remember when I turned one whole hand. I thought it was the greatest thing in the world! You’re pretty excited about it, too! You’ve been counting down this past week, and your anticipation grew as each day passed by.

I know I’ve said it a million times before, but there’s something extra special, yet bittersweet about that last little baby. You look at your last little baby in a different way. His firsts are your lasts. And while it’s exciting to watch him grow, it’s sometimes hard knowing there won’t be another baby.

So you soak up every second. Every hug. Every smooshy kiss. Every “I love you.” Those moments are forever embedded into your memory. Sometimes I’ll look at you and think to myself, “This moment right here. I want to remember this.” And I try as hard as I can to take a snapshot into my memory. I always want to remember you how you are that very second. That sweet little smile. Those big blue eyes. That messy curly hair. My last little baby.

You’ve grown so much this year. For starters, we moved into our new home. You love your new house and sharing a room with your big brother, Lincoln. You two were so excited to get bunk beds like we had on our Disney Cruise!

You LOVE to travel, and you travel SO well! You seem to think we can just hop on a plane whenever you want, and go to Disney World! Oh, I wish too, buddy!

You started Preschool this year, and although I might not have been ready, you certainly were! You love telling me about your friends, and you love PE class! You also LOVE to learn. Your teacher told me that she thought you were bored the first couple of weeks of school, because you just wanted to dive in learning! You know how to spell your name, and you’re asking how to spell other words. You love books, with Pete the Cat being one of your favorites. Lately you’ve been asking what words say. You are also doing math, and you haven’t even been taught it, nor do you realize that’s what you’re doing. You are SO smart!

You have the best imagination ever. Whether you’re turning into Bowser, or beating the Underminer as Dash, your imagination is continuously running wild!

Your favorite color is still blue…but yellow is your second favorite. You still love space, and Mercury is your favorite planet. You are OBSESSED with all things The Incredibles. You are a master at puzzles and mazes, enjoy playing board games, and you love going on treasure hunts.

You love your big brother something fierce. He is your favorite person on the planet, and it warms my heart more than you will ever know. You idolize Lincoln so incredibly much. You want to be just like him. I love watching the bond you two have grow deeper each day. I hope you will always continue to be close.

You are happy. You are pure joy. You are my little love bug…and you say I’m your love bug, which melts my heart. I think there’s a reason you are our last little baby. The grand finale. Because that’s just who you are. You are full of life, and no one could complete our family the way you do. You are fiercely independent, yet you love to snuggle with your Mommy.  You are my baby bug, and that will never change.

Happiest 5th birthday, my Avery Bug. You are the perfect piece to complete our family. I love you more than all the stars in the sky.

Love you forever,

Mommy