4 years old today

At 4 years old, you are 41 inches tall and 39 pounds.  You finallly speak in complete sentences.  You love trains and dinosaurs and your baby brother Ben.  You know how to ride a tricycle.  You know all your phonic sounds and recognize patterns.  This year you knew the date of your birthday and know the days of the week.  You have friends and can tell me who they are.  You are polite and loving and always say things like "please" "thank you" "I love you" and "this is so much fun!"

You have come so far.

I remember a time when you did not like any food and were angry people sang to you.  Unlike this year, when you picked out your cake and cake flavor and know all the wordsto Happy Birthday.

I remember a time you were in your own world, refused all eye contact, could care less about presents, and I felt devoid of all hope.  Unlike this year, when you are demanding presents and asking when your friends will come over.....and I know that there is every reason to have hope and I am no longer scared of your future.

I remember a time that we were excited that you could manage the stimulation of a party even if it meant you would ignore your guests.  Unlike this year when we kept your stimulation to a minimum so you could focus on your friends.

I am excited to see how you will change in the next year and look forward to the future, for the first time in a very long time.  Happy Birthday, William Francis Xavier Routhier.  Mommy loves you more than you can ever understand.