Parker's Almost THREE

Tonight, the eve of you birthday, all that keeps playing in my mind over & over again is the Taylor Swift song "Never Grow Up"

"Your little hand's wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight.
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light.
To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that...

I know that I start oh so many blogs this way (when I'm actually using my time blogging), but it's true...where has the time gone? I remember when I was little my Uncle Lynn (whom I always felt an extremely close kinship with) would tell me "you're old much longer than you are young..." Of course, at the time, I thought he was just crazy. I'm sure he's smirking from Heaven right now about me even typing that. Well, I'm slowly beginning to see with each passing year just what he meant. Time passes so quickly and absolutely no one is immune to it. It seems like yesterday Parker was ready to make his somewhat scary debut...not just 3 short years ago. Neither Brian nor myself knew I'd be woken at 2:00 a.m. thinking my water broke...and that was only the very beginning of a roller coaster of emotions. The many ways Parker makes us smile on a daily basis is far more than I could have imagined. His personality is completely and utterly infectious. His smile lights up a room. He loves making anyone smile and the things he thinks of cracks us up. Wise beyond his years that one...an old soul.

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple.
I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up

I wish I could say I wouldn't let anyone break his heart. The truth is there's too much to be gained from having a broken heart...lessons, molding, and the building of strength & character. So, instead, I'll just say to endure the heart breaks when they come and it won't last forever. Just around the corner you'll have brighter days that you can't possibly see coming. YOU, Parker James, are one of those very exact brighter days that keep on shining. YOU remind me that things will always get better.

You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off.
At 14 there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots.
But don't make her drop you off around the block...
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school

It's hard to imagine either of my boys in the teenage years, but that, too shall come too quickly one day. I pray when you're teenagers that you don't think your Dad and I are near as dumb as I once thought my own parents were (sorry Mom & Dad). However, as the time continues to pass, you'll realize that maybe ole Mom & Dad weren't so crazy & stupid and perhaps they did know what they were talking about. Again, another piece of advice from my ole' Uncle Lynn.

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up.
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
No one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to, just try to never grow up.

Before bedtime when I put you down tonight, Parker, I asked you..."Will you just please stay 2 for Mommy?" You put your hands on my cheeks the way you so often do and said, "Noogie-Noogie-Noogie" and started cracking up laughing, then quickly said, "I have to grow up, I'm gonna be free tomorrow!"

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room...
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home.
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone
Favorite songs...that's you, too. Music is one of your very favorite things right now. You love all types and even your babysitter insists you know every single song that comes on. You instantly grab your guitar or microphone and put on daily concerts for anyone that will listen. This is a memory I know I will keep tucked inside and for many years down the road it'll bring me even more smiles and joy...who knows....perhaps even more smile & joy than now (if that's possible).

So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off.
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on...

Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up

Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
I could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to, please try to never grow up
Oh, don't you ever grow up
Oh, never grow up, just never grow up

Happy, Happy 3rd Birthday tomorrow, Dear Parker. I love you as high as the sky & as deep as the ocean! Although a part of me doesn't want you to grow up...there's another large part that can't wait to see the good you will do and the man you will become.