One whole hand big – happy 5th birthday to my sweet boy!

5 years. FIVE YEARS. How on earth is my baby boy FIVE? I remember announcing his birth on this site like it was last week, and I remember thinking that the baby stage would last forever. Two in diapers will do that to you. But, now I know better. I know that even the most stubborn kids are potty trained eventually, and the diaper stage is over quicker than you know it. Even the "I do it myself" stage doesn't last forever and soon you find yourself needing to use Google for all their questions because even you don't know all the answers to the things they think up. And, just like that, five years goes by in a blur. Even though I'm very much back in the baby stage with my youngest, I know better now than to wish time would pass quickly.

Now I just wish time would slow down.

Because now I know how badly I will miss nuzzling those chubby baby cheeks and the days when mama's kiss can fix anything. For now, I will savor those rare moments when my boy wants to snuggle and I will enjoy every time he walks home with me hand-in-hand from preschool. These are the moments I will never get back and I will miss them terribly when they are over. His favorites {or "fravorites", as he says}:

He loves all toy cars, trucks, motorcycles, and construction vehicles. Basically, anything that rolls. He plays with his Bruder and vintage Tonka trucks nearly all day long and sets up elaborate construction sites and "Bruderville" on my carpet while his sister is at school.

He loves dress up and goes through stages where he dresses up as a fireman, a policeman, and an astronaut for school pick up.

He loves riding his bike – his balance bike and his two wheeler, training wheel free! He has recently gotten into note writing and I have dozens of notes he writes me each day. His favorite thing to draw is him as a robot, but he also loves to draw him and his sisters and him with me.

He loves LEGOS and all building toys. He has an engineering mind and can create some of the most intricate designs with even basic toys. This also means that he sees everything as a building toy and has been known to use baby toys, household items, and things from the recycling bin.

He loves dancing. This boy has got some serious moves and he can make me laugh harder than anyone I know.A very Happy Birthday to my sweet {baby} boy! I'm looking forward to seeing all the joy and adventure to come, but please make good on your promise to always be my baby no matter what.