Forty Months!

My little Bowen Naomi,

What a fun and exciting month, little girl! We've done so much and learned so many things and this exciting adventure continues. Three and one third looks a lot different than just three, and I'm sure it's very different than the three and a half we have coming up.

This week we're heading into spring break, so as well as having some time off of school coming up, all of your usual activities are winding down. This set in swimming you were a Minnow, and started out with your usual intense love of water and splashing around. The progress you made, my love, was incredible. You didn't fear the pool by any means, but we were told by your lovely teacher Daniel that in order to pass the level you needed to float both on your back and front - you had to stay underwater for five seconds! Since you weren't keen at all to get your eyes or nose in the water, he worked long and hard with you on this endeavour, and slowly, you got more confortable. Your "gobbles" helped you overcome the fear of getting water in your eyes, and eventually we added a nose plug to guarantee that water wouldn't go into your nose. Eventually, after much prodding, Daniel just dunked you fully into the water and you've never looked back! Now you love getting your head the in water, and accomplished the huge feat of floating on your stomach with your face in the water. We're so proud of you, baby Bowen! On the last day you were thrilled to show us your report card and told everyone with joy in your voice that you were no longer a Minnow, but now a Guppy! Way to go, my love! The ending of your first set of gymnastics class was just as exciting. As the class prior to your was ending, and we watched the other kids jump up to the stand at the front of the gym, raise their hands way up in the air, and recieve applause from the teachers and kids as their report cards were awarded. I was a bit weary of how it would go when it was your turn, as you tend to shy away from too many eyes and attention being soley focused on you. I came back early to watch your class go through their own report card award ceremony, and couldn't hold back the tears to watch my incredible little girl recieve her own applause and report card. When your name was called you ran up to the podium, jumped up with no hesitation, and raised your arms high in the air to recieve your applause and report card. You faced your peers and then turned around to face the parents and get your picture taken. You smiled and beamed with pride and it was an incredibly moving moment. You'd done it, and I'd never seen you prouder! It was so inspiring and incredible to watch the huge evolution that you'd made in just a few weeks of this new activity. You truly surprised me, my little monkey, and I couldn't tell you enough how proud I was of you. Now we'll have a little break where we can enjoy outside and our beautiful city, before getting back into the last bit of school and the spring set of swimming and gymnastics.

This month we've started to work in the garden again, and sharing this love that we have as a family with you is really exciting. You've been helping me plant all the seedlings, and while you get a bit tired of having to wait so long for those slow little seeds to pop through the soil, you're enthralled with the process. You've been outside with me a lot, getting our beds ready for planting and helping move the worms around the garden. You love picking them up and moving them around the various beds, narrating all the while. We talk a lot about how amazing gardening is, and I try to explain it all to you as we go. You love hearing about compost and the importance of the incredible wormies, and relish reciting these details back to me. We've also gotten outside for some hiking again lately, and you seem to be more keen to stay in your hiking backpack. In these moments when our little family is in the forest, with your on your daddy's back and your brother on mine, my world is complete. We're out there all together and close and seeing the beauty of our mountains and trails, and in these moments I feel like everything in the world is absolutely as it should be.

My love, sometimes when we're walking somewhere together you stop suddenly pointing up and yelling, "Mama! LOOK!" to show me a giant flock of birds soaring above. You often exclaim that things are "SO BEAUTIFUL!" and you seeing the beauty and magnificence in this world makes me feel like somedays I'm getting this parenting gig just right. You're picking up on our beliefs and values in seeing the beauty of the world and I'm grateful to have this time to teach you such important lessons that you'll hopefully carry with you for always.

My girl, you are tall, fast, kind, and smart. You are firm about "my body" and tell people to please not touch you when it's unwelcome. You remind me that you like to wake up slowly, and sometimes need extra time for lots of hugs and cuddles. You're fiercely strong and motivated and a day doesn't go by where I'm not in awe of everything you've become in such a short time. Tonight as I put you to bed, I was once again taken aback by just how long you are. You came from inside my tummy not too long ago, and now I stare at you, several feet tall and with the personality to match. You're my sunshine, Bowen Naomi, and each day spent together is truly a gift.

Happy forty months, my amazing little girl!

I love you forever,

-Your Mama