My Wish for You

I rarely watch Baker play.
That sounds awful, I know.
But I rarely watch him play, because I am usually playing with him.

Hand over hand, we put puzzles together.
Knee to knee, we stack blocks into mile high ceiling scrapers.
Side by side, we bring our favorite books to life.
We tackle life together.
Arm in arm.
Heart to heart.

Lately, however, I have made it a point to sit back and watch him.
And what I've found is no different than anything I already knew.
That boy of ours is positively spectacular.

As I watch Baker play, wishes for him swirl about my head and my heart.

I wish you to be little.

Days like today remind me to let you be little.

I wish you the creativity to color a beautiful mess in your Elmo sketch book.

I wish you time to splash around in the bathtub and pretend you're the swimmingest fish in an ocean so vast.

I wish you the playfulness to engage in hide and seek. (And selfishly, I wish for you not to fully understand that hiding means concealing all of you from my sight. When you cover your eyes and think you are hidden, then surprise me with a big "Boo!" my heart swells even bigger than your proud smile.)

I wish you to nap on my chest. I wish you to hold my hand.

This world will rush it. Calling you a big boy. Willing you to toughen up. Encouraging you to be a man.

Oh my sweet child, don't allow it. There will be plenty of days for that grown up stuff.

Today and tomorrow, and the tomorrow after that, and the day after that tomorrow, and for all the tomorrows for the rest of your little years, be just that.

Be silly and energetic.

Be wild and adventurous.

Sing too loud, run too fast, make a mess too big.

Be little

I wish for you to have the best of me.

I wish to be present.

When I forget that you won't always crawl into my lap to read "Love You Forever,"

When I forget you won't always pat the floor beside you for me to join in your play,

When I forget one day will be the last you'll sing about that baby bumblebee,

When I forget I won't always be the girl you want to join you for picnics in the playroom,

When I forget, remind me.

Remind me that these days with you are really the best days.

And you deserve to have the best of me.

I wish you friends.

Friends at church.

Friends at school.

Friends in your mommy and daddy.

Even friends in your stuffed animals.

There are few gifts greater than that of a true friend.

I wish you to be surrounded by the love and laughter, and the support and encouragement that comes only from friends.


I wish you time.

I wish for life to slow down for you.

I wish more time for you to swing all the way to the sky.

I wish for dance parties in the living room.

I wish for chocolate chip pancakes and homemade cookies. And some nights, I wish for takeout, so our time in is spent together.

I wish you grace.

As you are learning boundaries, and right and wrong, and good and bad, and which buttons to press, I wish you grace.

I hope you feel our love as we help you navigate your way through these wonderfully delicious toddler years.

I hope you learn the grace of your Heavenly Father through our example.


I wish you love.

I hope you feel it.

It pours from me.

It starts in my heart, but I love you with all of me.

I hope you feel it through my words.

I hope you feel it through my hugs too tight and my kisses too many.

I hope you feel it by my smile.

I hope you feel loved every day, in every thing you do.

Baker, you are never without love.

I wish you affirmation. I wish you big dreams and small fears. I wish you adventure. I wish you snuggles. I wish you days spent outside. I wish you parades from your daddy's shoulders. I wish you hiccups from laughing too big. I wish you days at the zoo. I wish you fun. I wish you boundaries. I wish you patience. I wish you silly songs. I wish you tickle fights. I wish you happiness.

My wishes for you are big. My wishes for you are many.
But only because you are special, because you are our dream come true.

I wish for you to always know you are my wish.