Over the Last Four Years...

I think about how far Reese and I have come since that day, four years ago. We have a beautiful and extremely lively three-year-old daughter and a handsome nearly three-month-old son who is just now starting to show us glimpses of his personality. As wonderful as it is having them both in my life, Ronan is still every bit as missed as he was since we received the news that we would not be bringing a new baby boy home from the hospital. No child can ever be replaced, especially your first born. I try my best to draw strength from that event. Always doing my best to think of Ronan, and the missed opportunities with him, when the stresses brought on by caring for my other two children seem insurmountable. Though I never heard his voice speak a word, he imparted upon me the desire to be the very best father that I can be to my children (though I often feel that I fall short of that). I am eternally grateful and in your debt for challenging me to give my best to your sister and brother, my dearest Ronan. You are forever loved and always remembered.

"Three. That's the Magic Number."

For almost a week now, I have been the father of a three-year-old. My little girl is growing fast. All of the cliches are true. Children really do grow up overnight. It's funny how I never really notice how far along she's come until right after celebrating her birthday. Her vocabulary and interests seem more developed than those of other children, her age, that we often meet at the various parks and playgrounds we visit. I'm certain that some people would refer to her as an "old soul" based on her likes. For instance, in the several weeks leading up to her birthday, she insisted that she wanted a Charlie Brown cake to celebrate the occasion. I attribute this to the fact that she alternated watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" non-stop for the last two months of 2011. Of all things for a then two-year-old to become enamored with, I would have never imagined it to be Charles Schulz's beloved "Peanuts" characters. I told her that was a good thing, since her grandparents are partial to those characters she would be more likely to receive gifts featuring them.

This birthday was extra special considering it was the first her little brother was present for. While the focus was squarely on her, it was nice to see him dressed up for the occasion and being cradled by all of our friends who showed up for the party. Our children are loved, and not just by us. That much is evident. It is a really special feeling to know that other people are delighted to see Reese and I as parents and to be congratulated for being so. I missed her grandparents not being here to celebrate alongside us, but that was expected considering we live such great distances apart now. Perhaps next year they'll live closer to us.

With everything that has come along with being three, I can only imagine what she'll have accomplished by the time she turns four. I hope that it doesn't get here too quickly. We've got a lot to discover together and the window for being three is small (those windows just get smaller with age). I believe that those discoveries made when magic is still magical are the ones that stick with you forever. Here's hoping that 2012 brings nothing but magic.