I love pinching his super soft cheeks and the way he smiles and gallops through the house instead of running.

I love how seriously he studies things and thinks about things.

He picks a favorite toy or two to carry around each day, like D2 and 3P0. A little red tank car. A stacking block with a picture of a cherry ice cream cone. A baby potato spud with a pair of too-big blue shoes. A baby hippo. A “Dawf” (Darth Vader) angry bird. A Lego storm trooper helmet (inserted over his thumb). Or whatever else has caught his fancy that day.

I love his incredible awareness of our routines and what his brothers do, and how he wants to do the same things.

He has intense eyebrows that make him look much older than he really is.

I love his stomach and how it leads him to the counter long before a meal is finished being prepared, hoping for a tasty preview of what’s to come.

I love how much he loves “moodies!”

And how positively and unbelievably adorable he is.

He is so happy and has a wonderful sense of humor and love for life.

I love the way he repeats the words of a prayer in a high pitched voice with constantly rising intonation, like he’s singing. And how he always wants to include a blessing for Daddy, even if Daddy is home.

And I love his first independent prayer that he started saying for every meal, “Bwess Daddy come home. Amen!” And if it doesn’t work the first time, he’ll say it again and again. He even folds his hands, bows his head and closes his eyes.  It’s gotten shorter over time to “Bwess Daddy. Amen!” and now “Bwess. Amen!”  We  joke that soon it’ll just be, “Amen!”

And he was so cute today in church when he prayed for the Sacrament water all on his own, “Bwess Daddy, water. Amen!”

He knows I can’t catch him right now, so he races off when it’s time to change his diaper or go to bed. And boy, he gets mad when I ask Boots to help me catch him. (And you better believe Boots loves it!)

And he cracks us up with the word, “No.” When he first learned it, it became the pat answer to EVERYTHING.

“Do you want to go outside?” “NO!”

“Do you want to stay inside?” “NO!”

“Do you want ice cream?” “NO!” (But then he’d pause, reconsider and then give a definitive nod.)

Eventually, he toned down a little, but he still loves the power of throwing around a strong, “No!” And just recently he finally started saying, “Es,” in addition to nodding. (It used to be tricky in the car when he’d only do a silent nod and the boys would have to tell me because I couldn’t see it.)

I love the way his brothers talk to him, include him and share with him.

I love the way he says his brothers’ names (“Dawse” and “Gock”) and how he always wants to name them in pictures or videos.

He loves his silly brothers and Daddy. (Me, too!)

He wanted a D2 cake, but I didn’t really write “Potatoes” on it.

He is mellow and easygoing, quite content to just wander off and play with his kitchen or stack blocks with the clubhouse.

I love when we say something like, “It’s time for dinner,” and he exclaims, “Oh!” like we just cleared up something he’s been wondering for years.

Or when he grudgingly admits (in a defeated, drawn-out voice), “oday,” when he finally agrees to do something (like fold his hands for a time-out) and it’s really asking a lot.

I’m amazed at how determined he can be! His newest habit is to climb on top of the counter after what he wants if Mommy or Daddy take too long to give it to him.

He loves our alone time after morning naps and I love it, too. He’s so intelligent and has an incredible memory, bringing up stories and events that happened weeks ago. Or remembering exactly how you did something the first time and wanting to do it exactly the same way again.

I love how snuggly he is and how he always wants his Mommy when he gets hurt, hugging my neck and putting his head on my shoulder until he feels better. I love our chair time together reading books before naps and bed, and how he always wants me to “pop” out the recliner. Then he points to characters and objects in his favorite Disney or Winnie books and I dutifully name each and every one, often in a specific order.

He loves all the Winnie-the-Pooh characters, calls Mickey Mouse “Minnie” and gets soooo excited when it’s his turn to pick what we watch. He loves to pick “Pooh” or “Minnie” or Aladdin (which he calls “Boo” for Abu). He is a crack-up when he acts like Donald Duck or Tigger. He tells the cutest stories with sound effects, facial expressions and gestures. And he wants to hold a remote control just like his brothers. (Fortunately, he doesn’t care if it actually works. He just wants to hold one.)

Happy birthday, sweet little man! We love you with all our hearts.