oliver

my son turns 4 on sunday.  

because his birthday falls a mere week after christmas, the pomp and circumstance surrounding it always seems to get downplayed.  thankfully, my son is the type of kid who could really care less.  

so when i was trying to figure out what i should blog about this week, i was shocked i hadn't already started a birthday blog for oz.  cuz in case you didn't notice, this year part of my blogging resolution was to write birthday blogs for the people closest to me.  again on one hand i felt bad that i hadn't thought to write one for oz, but on the other hand i think in some ways i was fearful that i wouldn't have much to say.

if i could sum up my son in one word, besides adorable, handsome, smart, funny, sensitive and a wee bit eccentric, it would be easy.  oz is easy.  now don't get me wrong, he has his moments-- most of which are in public or around family friends, but at home oz is pretty darn near perfect.  while lily demands most of our attention with her daily shenanigans, oz tends to lay low on the radar.  no issues with clothes, or pooping or attitude-- he has the occasional food challenges, but for the most part he's busy tooling around playing with his toys.  

ever since lily started kindergarten, oz and i have fallen into a really neat routine.  after we drop off lily, we come home, put tali down and then it's just me and him for a solid two hours.  first he'll want to watch mighty machines or cars for an hour and then before i know it he'll be off the couch running his cars or playing trains quietly.  he is so easily entertained and has a crazy long attention span.  his little mind is so different than mine. his infatuation with moving machinery amazes me.  but at the same time he's satisfied taking cooking equipment out of the drawer and making machines out of them.  i'm always amazed at how a can opener suddenly becomes a helicopter rescuing a chip clip.  

having a firstborn that requires so much emotional energy can be exhausting.  being with lily makes me appreciate the simplicity that comes with oz.  he's always down to cuddle me, and almost never talks back.  he's pretty intuitive for an almost four year old-- if he feels like i'm upset he'll say 'mom' and i'll look over at him just giving me just the biggest smile.  he's just checkin in, giving me exactly what i need at that moment.  his sensitivity floors me.  i always joke that even though it can't be easy being in between two girls, someday he'll be thankful for what a good husband it made him. 

i guess when i was worried i wouldn't have much to say, it's because i can sometimes equate less words with less love.  but the reality is, most days i would take five boys if they were all like him.  i can only hope and pray that our simple, constant, loving ride continues.  my heart overflows for that boy, and i'm so thankful for the unique love we have.  

even though you hate pictures, still won't utter a word to lily's kindergarten teacher, claim the elevators were your favorite part of our last vacation, eat a bagel with cream cheese for dinner most nights and exhaustingly need to know how everything works, i still marvel at how much i learn from you.  your patience with lily is humbling and your tenderness toward tali makes me swoon.  i love how comfortable you are in your own skin.

and so oz, even though you tell me every day you don't want to grow up, in a couple days you'll be four.  but just so you know, even when your 44, you will still always, always be my baby boy.  i love you oliver and i can't thank you enough for being the unwavering radiance in my world.