4 years ago today marked two important dates:
1. Sam and Jack’s due date
2. The day Sam had his first shunt surgery

As the years have passed, I can finally approach this day without tears in my eyes and just be grateful for all that we have.

Sam is a thriving, happy, healthy 4-year-old who pretty much lives to have fun. He’s independent and rarely wants or needs us around. Most of the time he is found reading books or collecting his toys. His eating is constantly improving and he isn’t afraid to try new things. We are so, so grateful that he hasn’t had a single brain surgery in over 3.5 years. This kid can recite every movie he’s ever seen, and often does so during nap time and in the middle of the night. My current favorite lines:
“Where’s. My. Food???” — A Bug’s Life
“Aww, come on Dad, really…?” — How to Train Your Dragon 2

Jack absolutely loves playing games– Connect 4, Matching cards, Legos, MagnaTiles, etc. He’s currently afraid of monsters in his bed and has started sleeping on the floor. My “monster spray” is apparently defective. He is incredibly physical and wants to wrestle and run at all times. When Adam is home Jack is in heaven–and rarely does anything but beg to be wrestled. He is so smart, and loves to learn new things. Jack is also very Type A and a total rule follower. While Sam and Eli try to hide toys in their room before bedtime (a no-no), Jack goes around and cleans up his toys AND their toys and lets us all know it’s against the rules and “not nice” to have toys in their room.

Their little bro Eli is growing and changing every day. He is so physical, destructive, loud… And thinks he is a 4-year-old too. While I am so happy he is talking now, there is pretty much never a quiet moment when he is awake. Jack and Eli definitely have a special bond–a bond that includes wanting the exact same toys, playing in the exact same spot, and yelling at the exact same ear-piercing levels. It is so fun to watch him learn new things, because he learns them so FAST. He knows how to count to 10, his colors, and a few shapes–circle, square, and triangle. While S & J knew their ABC’s at this age, he has zero interest in sitting still long enough to look at an alphabet book. The kid also has the most terrible temper. While he stresses me out nonstop, he is the sweetest little boy in the world– he loves to cuddle and “sleep” with everyone. He’s also going to be quite the big brother– his favorite toy is currently my old baby doll. Eli is constantly asking to kiss the baby (my belly button) and give me big hugs.

I’m also convinced I have some of the happiest kids in the world– they shriek every time I open the door in the morning and do the same every day of preschool to their teachers. Every time I think I’m screwing them up I’m reminded that at the very least, they are happy. And for that, we are blessed.

If you want a laugh… Here is me trying to get Eli counting on camera: