Happy 4th birthday, Hudson!

My Dearest Hudson,

At 4:39 a.m. on June 5, 2009, the most wonderful thing in the world happened. You, my precious boy, were born. You came into this world after a 25-hour labor and made your presence known with your loud voice. And then you just looked at me. When I looked at you on that first day of your life, and everyone left the room so I could be alone with you, I looked into your eyes and said to you then, “We’re going to learn so much together. It’s you and me.”

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Yesterday morning when you woke up, you ran in to jump in bed with your Daddy and me. While I was snuggling with you, I looked at you and whispered, “You’re not allowed to be 4. You have to stay 3 forever.”

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You didn’t really like that idea because you’ve been looking forward to turning 4 since a month after you turned 3. I can remember what it was like to always be wishing to be a little bit older. But my precious, precious boy, I am going to do everything I can for you to help slow that time down.

Every single day with you is the greatest gift. I could write a book about the ways that you have changed my heart and forced me to see every little thing with a little more detail and with more appreciation.

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Hudson, you are the sweetest little soul. Your compassion for others always amazes me. You always want to know what’s wrong and how you can help.

You’re also so very observant. If anyone changes their hair or their shirt , you’re the first one to tell them that they look nice or ask why they changed. Your compliments mean the world to me. I love being your mommy! Especially when you tell me first thing in the morning that my bed head looks pretty.

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Hudson, you just amaze us. You see things differently than we do. You look at ordinary things and you see shapes. You say, “That roof looks like a trapezoid. That window looks like a square.” You notice words that you can recognize and are often sounding out words and how to spell them. The things you associate together just blow us away. Nothing gets past you, and your Daddy and I know that you are watching every little thing we do.

You love to spell, love to write, and love to learn. You still know all your letters, states, and numbers. And you’ve been learning the Presidents this year. And this isn’t because we’ve forced it on you. You just like it. You love playing new games and you soak everything up like a little sponge. I’m so excited to see how much you blossom in this next year.

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You are absolutely hilarious. You make the funniest jokes, and you’re like me in that you love making word and vocabulary jokes. You make up funny songs to be serious and to be funny.

You adore your grandparents and this just thrills us to no end. Your Daddy and I absolutely love to be around RC, PC, KK, and Poppie because it makes us happy, but even more so because it makes you so happy, Hudson. You adore them and they adore you, and we realize what a precious gift that is.

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Hayes looks at you with such admiration. He is constantly watching you. For better or for worse, I know he’ll learn so much from you, and I pray that you always look out for him, too. Giving you each other is one of the greatest things your Daddy and I have done, but watching that relationship grow this year has been so much fun.

The two of you love to chase each other, and every once in a while you’ll say, “Hayes! Come get me! You’re my best friend.” And I have to tell you, anytime I hear you say those words, I could cry. Such a happy sound.

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You take everything very literally. You’re not the most imaginative player, and things are very black and white to you. You see things exactly for what they are and can figure out a puzzle in twenty seconds. But it’s also so funny when we try to make some kind of joke or use some kind of cliche, and you always take it literally and act so confused. It cracks us up.

Another highlight of this year has been watching your friendships develop. You are always talking about your best friends and get so excited at the possibility of seeing them. You can still be very shy, but you love your friends and you are such a loyal friend. We’ve also seen the effects of too much “togetherness” with your best friends as there is the occasional preschool spat. And that’s okay. I love that even after a little spat, you can pick up where you left off being a good friend.

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You get a little more mature every single day. You still have your very strong-willed moments, absolutely. And when those moments get mixed with the preschool-age moments, it’s a recipe for a meltdown. But your meltdowns are rare and are much less frequent as you have gotten closer to 4 years old.

These next couple of years are going to big for you. People are going to expect you to grow up a lot as you prepare to go to school. But, my sweet sweet boy, I’m holding on tight to every single day. Not in a mournful way, but because I know it does get better each day. I love you more each day. And we both learn something new each day.

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When I look into your bright, deep brown eyes, I can see my journey through motherhood. And you, my precious Hudson, have been there every step of the way.

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I adore you. I pray that God blesses you abundantly this year as you learn more about who He is and the kind of boy He would have you to be. And your Daddy and I pray that we can be that example for you.

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I hope you always know that my arms and my heart are always open to you. Whenever you need me, I’ll come running to pick you up.

I love you,

Mommy

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Comments

  1. says

    What a sweet post!! Happy Birthday to your little man!! My oldest turned 12 yesterday ~ its crazy how fast the time flies once we become mommies isn’t it?! Hope y’all have a super special day together!! =)

  2. callie says

    Happy Birthday Hud Bud!!! You’re such a great Mommy, Erin. Your boys (all 3 of them) are so lucky! xoxo

  3. says

    Love this! Crying because only mothers really get what motherhood feels like. Enjoy Hudson being 4. It’s a blast. Happy Birthday, Hudson.

  4. Leslie Ruth says

    What a precious letter! He will cherish this someday 🙂 Congrats on four years of motherhood, and happy birthday, Hudson!

  5. says

    It’s a special, proud kind of hurt to watch your firstborn baby get older and grow and have birthdays. Will turns 4 in July and I have such a mix of anticipation and dread to see another year tick off the page. I love that you said you’re going to help slow down the time in any way you can — that’s exactly my heart towards my kids. Keeping them little and innocent as long as possible!
    Happy Birthday, Hudson!!!

  6. Jumi says

    Happy Birthday Hudson. Blue Eyed Bride is one of the first blogs I started reading and that was around the time you were pregnant with Hudson. Time really does fly by. This post brought tears to my eyes. You are such a great mother and I LOVE these letters you write. Praying for many blessings and God’s favor upon your family 🙂

  7. says

    What a beautiful letter!! Made me tear up! Your boys are truly, truly blessed to have you and Todd as parents. Happy Birthday to Hudson!

  8. says

    Oh my goodness Erin. You need to print this and save it to give to Hudson when he has his own child someday. What an incredible tribute to your first born. Happy Birthday Hudson!!!!!!!!

  9. anonymous says

    i can’t believe it !!! what a beautiful post for hudson to read when he grows up 🙂

  10. says

    Happy Birthday to Hudson!! Loved the photos from the Peter Pan party. It was fabulous! What a special time of year for your family!

  11. Kally says

    So I am now sobbing after reading this letter you wrote to your four year old little boy… I too have a 4 year-old and so much of what you said rings true for me as well. The very best line was, I can see my journey through motherhood, and you have been there every step of the way! That is exactly how I feel about my little Brody! Thank you for sharing something that I know was very dear to your heart! God bless you and those beautiful boys!

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