Heads Up, Seven Up

Happy birthday Xavi-bean!

I’ve been practicing saying I have a seven-year-old for the past few weeks so it won’t sound so foreign and strange today, the first time it is true.  But even such, I don’t like it and I’ll always want to say you are four or five.

I’ll never be ready for you to grow up. I’m not ready for the world to slowly chip away at your innocence. I pray that you don't lose your sweet, kind heart, and that you will not fear sharing it with the world.

I'm not ready to look over and see your man hands and gangly limbs. While it is easy now to just bend my neck a bit to rest my head on yours, it shouldn't already be possible for the top of your head to land somewhere between my armpit and shoulder.  I want you to still fit in my arms, curled against me.

I love that you still want to cuddle and have “slumber parties” with mom or dad and that no matter how far away you start your sleep, you end up cuddled right next to us.

I love talking with you and listening to your growing vocabulary, seeing the world through your eyes, and learning more about you every day.  You are so smart and clever.

I love that even though you can read, you want me to read to you. As I have always promised, I will read to you forever if you let me.

Happy birthday sweet summer surprise! I love you always and forever, no matter what. You're the best thing that ever happened to me.

My favorite recent conversations with you

Mama: “You have to live with me until you are 40…”

XEB: “but mom, you and dad aren’t 40 yet.”

Mama:😘😢😉😎

Mama: “How many of your eleven kids do you think that you will adopt?” 

XEB: ”Probably all of them.”