Three

If you've ever had to wait 3 years for something you know how long it is.
Until that is, you have a baby and celebrate their 3rd birthday. Suddenly 3 years is the shortest span of time, defying all logic and previous knowledge of time.
It has literally felt like a blink of an eye, from the time I was carrying you in my belly to our present time of having just celebrated your 3rd birthday. I can't make sense out of how fast it went. I have clung to every bit of baby that existed in you and though I'm still desperately trying, I fail to find any left. It breaks my heart, it overjoys my heart, it contorts my emotions into a twister style mess of nonsensical up and downs. Some days I am just so proud and excited to watch your growth, milestones and new accomplishments and other days I'm shaking my fists screaming how unfair it is that you've grown so quickly.
I miss the little things, like the sound of you feeding late at night, when the world is asleep and nighttime has settled in. The slow sleepy gulps of a contented baby feeling safe cradled in my arms. I miss the sound of the big breath signaling the end of your feed and the beginning of your slumber. I miss the way your little hand would lazily paw at my chest as you drifted off to sleep. I miss the way you'd look at me with pure love, with such inquisitive wonder and happiness. I miss how your hand would instinctively wrap around my finger whenever I placed it in your palm. I miss the way you'd crazily kick your little legs when I would change you because you were just so happy to be alive. The constant reminders of how easy it is to take joy in the simple things. I miss the way you would nuzzle your little face into my neck and squeeze with all of your little might, telling me in your baby ways that you loved me, you needed me. I miss the freshly bathed baby smell, the way you'd delightfully splash and try so hard to grab the water. I miss cradling you close to me and rocking you to sleep.

As much as I miss all of those moments I consider the things you do now and know with absolute certainty that I'd miss them just as much, if not more.

I love how you get excited and talk so fast that your words just don't make sense, yet we know exactly what it is you're saying. I love how independent you are and how adamant you get about doing things yourself. I love how loving you are, how you call everyone baby and pet their face with such a gentle affection. I love how you go out of your way to help and clean up messes and do big people things. I love how proud you get when you accomplish something and run around giving high fives and saying "you did a good job, I did it!"
I love how you wrap your little body around me like a Koala and hug me with everything you've got, I love more that  you make it last and last. I love how you believe my kisses fix all boo boos. I love how you reciprocate that and kiss everyone's boo boos as well. I love every single thing about you and I know that in 3 years I will look back, I will wonder where the last 3 years have gone, and I will miss every moment I get to have with you right now.

So I am going to continue to cling to each second, I will make as many memories as possible, I will ingrain them into my heart so that in 3 years I'll remember with a fondness the feelings I have right now, just as I can look back to 3 years ago and remember exactly what it felt like to hold you for the very first time.