Dear Elias - you're three!

I'm writing this tonight, after spending the day celebrating your third birthday, in complete denial! How on earth is my baby boy three already?! It really isn't possible! These three years have literally zoomed past, and yet at the same time, memories of your rather dramatic arrival in the world, those early days of me tearily trying to keep you awake for just one feed, and holding that teeny-tiny body feel light years away.

Long gone is that tiny, frail little fighter, and in his place a cheeky charmer of a boy who loves people, being constantly entertained and story after story after story...!

You were genuinely thrilled with your presents this morning. Buzz Lightyear, a couple of Potato Heads (anyone guess the favourite film??) and a mole... that one is an in-joke, but you were thrilled to finally have your own "real" mole... and your siblings were delighted to have you tell your hourly "mole" story with an actual mole to hand. (Anyone who knows our Elias... ask him about his mole and he'll doubtless tell you the whole story!)

We had a quiet day... not dissimilar to any other rolling day of lockdown... one day looks very similar to the next, but we had a fun morning eating waffles and playing in the sunshine, and then went for a walk after your nap. You delighted yourself with the opportunity to be out in the great outdoors again (a lap around our local park) and grabbed sticks, flowers and leaves as we went, chatting away! You have coped so well with this whole situation, thriving on the constant companionship of your siblings, most of all your "best friend" big brother, and telling everyone who walks past our window "I can't come to your house, cos some people have got Cona Viyus". We all chuckle under our breath and you beam and wave and carry on being jolly.

This evening, around a tea of classy fish fingers, chips and peas (your choice!), and a last minute whipped up Paw Patrol birthday cake, we all sat down and shared the things we love about our Elias. You sat on my lap, lapping up the praise, beaming at your siblings and taking it all in. We love your storytelling, your singing, your little chattery voice and the ray of sunshine that you are. You're everybody's friend, and everyone's favourite book buddy... and you're a little joker too. You know exactly how to make us laugh, and we love you for it.

And then we spent time praying for you... thanking God for the gift that you are, and for the richness you bring to our family... for his protection of you when you entered the world, and the way he has cared for you since. And we prayed on, that you would grow spiritually healthy and strong, just as that tiny little premie body has grown physically big and strong. It was precious time together at the end of a lovely day!

Wir haben Dich so lieb unser Li-Li!

Mama und Papa xx und "die Kinder"
(Elias has recently started referring to his siblings as "the children"... usually in the context of "Mama, the children won't let me play with them!")