Fourth Birthday...take two

He is four.
He's seemed four for awhile now, but it's official. As of about 11pm yesterday, our little boy turned four. For old times sake I of course have to re-visit just a little bit of how his life started...four years ago.
I always say that Declan made a grand entrance...and still does. He came into this world in a powerful way, and if you know him deeply like I do, he's still a pretty powerful little soul. Only seventeen months after Isabella was born, Declan held fast to my womb (much like his sister) and had to be "encouraged" to come out. Much to our dismay, I had my water broken at 42 weeks for fear of losing our midwife care if I went one day over 42 weeks. Apparently that makes you high risk. I personally think some babies like to bake a little longer...all three of mine included. But anyway, he was on his way and fourteen hours later as the back of his head pressed firmly against my spine, I insisted he get out. And he did. Purple forehead and all, Gen getting the life squeezed out of her hands as I yelled in her face and Ryan ready to catch, Declan was born and to this day I will say that I have never felt such relief in all my life. I clearly remember reaching down and grabbing him, pulling him up to my chest and saying over and over "I love you so much, I love you so much...." and "he's so tiny!" The first part was very true. The second, not so much.
All 8lbs 12ozs of baby lay on my chest as I forgot the excruciating pain and the time it took for him to get here. He nursed and minutes later, Isabella came in and also nursed. I had two babies that were both very much babies.

And now here he is, turning four. Figuratively, he still likes to press his head into my spine and show his stubborness and strong will. But on the flip side Declan is sensitive, loving, patient, devoted, cuddly, cozy, and silly. He rarely stops dancing and will stop on a dime just so he can move his hips. The boy loves to dance and we say he must hear music in his soul.  He loves to give hugs and has become quite the conversationalist lately. He wants to learn. He knows more about bugs and amphibians than I will ever know and he is passionate.  He's usually the only boy in a sea of girls and I'm not sure that he really minds. Declan is intense. He's confident. We love him and he doesn't go a minute without making us laugh.

Over the weekend, we had a little pirate party at home. On his real birthday we just hung out as a family, visited some pet stores (Declan's still scouting out a pet turtle...preferably one that costs less than $100) and then tonight, had another little joint celebration with his cousin Nicholas whose birthday is also this week.

Declan showed up to his party on Saturday asleep. Mom and aunt Cathy had all the kids at a kite festival that morning and he was pretty wiped. We tried hard to wake him up and it took passing him over to Abbey's mom, Jenn, to get him to wake up. He then moved on to get his hugs from Cy's mom, Abby and finally he was ready to party.  Declan has some ladies in his life that mean a lot to him. Apparently, being in their arms is the key to waking him up.

We had a pirate party this year. Not so much because Declan loves pirates, but more because we found some really awesome pirate party supplies at TJMaxx and we just went with it. Declan is pretty unsure about the whole pirate thing to be honest. This is what he knows and likes about pirates: They say Aaargh, matey, they wear an eye patch, they 'walk the plank', and they have gold. That about sums up how we focused this party.

The kids 'walked the plank' (or sat on it), panned for gold, and went on a treasure hunt. They sported eye patches and pirate scarves long enough to snap ten pictures. Mostly, they ran and played and just enjoyed each other. It was perfect.

The night before his party, Declan stayed up with me until 10:30, making sure that the hunk of cake and frosting that I swore would become a pirate ship, did in fact become a pirate ship. And as Ryan held pieces in place and I skewered them together, heaping frosting in gaps and putting the whole thing in the refrigerator every five minutes to firm up a little before moving on, he stood right by me, "this is going to be a pirate ship mom? are you sure this is right? here, let me taste that for you." 
And when it all came together and he sunk his sails into the top of the cake he looked at me with the biggest grin and said "It is a pirate ship mommy! It looks like one! I can't believe you did it. This is the best birthday cake! I love it and I'm so happy about this cake!" Food in all forms, is still very important to this little boy.

Declan was able to spout off quite a few things that he wanted for his birthday this year. A worm farm, an ant farm, a turtle, a frog, a salamander, a cage for his turtle...and the list goes on. But the one thing that stuck out, that he always mentioned and that boggled our minds for the longest time, was a pottery wheel. He had seen one months ago, in the craft store. He grabbed it right off the shelf and begged me to buy it for him. I thought it was strange since I was sure he didn't really know what it was, but at the same time I could relate. When I was about eight, I desparately wanted a pottery wheel. I got one and maybe used it a handful of times but I was sure that pottery was something I wanted to do. Of course, we're talking about a not even four year old here, so I was confused. I asked him if he knew what it was for and he said "Yes! You do this...and you make a bowl," as he cupped his hands and moved them as if he were creating a pot on a pottery wheel.  I asked him how he knew this and this is what he told me:
"Mommy, remember that one time at the fair that man was making a bowl. He was sitting at one of these and his hands were all dirty. Then, he gave all of us a piece of his clay. I want to do that!" 
Two summers ago, when Declan was not even three yet, we were at the Farmers Market when there happened to be a man selling pottery but also, sitting at his wheel creating it. Declan was mesmerized then and apparently still is now. Seriously, this kid amazes me.
So Kelly and Taylor bought him a little pottery wheel for his birthday and he could do nothing else for the rest of the day until he got his hands in that clay. I set him up at the table and his cousins and friends played around him and he made his first little bowl. It was almost meditative for him and watching him move his hands around the clay as he formed it into a bowl, pushing his thumbs into the middle, adding water, pulling the clay upwards, just made me appreciate so much of who he is. He's just pretty incredible.

Declan loved his day, he loved having people that he loves around him and his wish: a turtle. Of course.

The following morning, Declan's real birthday, we wake up to find this:

 Just a boy in his pile of birthday gifts.  It's what he does. Piles all of his things around himself, finds a bag to put it all in and carries around said bag for the next month.  It's his thing.

   A Worm Farm. Who knew? 

Monday night we had another celebration for Nicholas and Declan at Grandma's house. We went with the bug theme this time and had a bug hunt, a snake chase, and some dirt for dessert!

 Almost exactly four years apart...

Kristy and Rob hid glow in the dark bugs outside. It wasn't quite dark yet and the bugs were clear/white, so it made for an especially challenging bug hunt. Now I know what to do when I want to keep the kids busy for awhile...

Quinn watched us make these "dirt and worm" cups this morning, yet she was still unsure of actually eating them. She smelled, licked, tasted, and then asked me, "I eat this mommy?" I told her she could and she dug right in. Two years olds are so trusting.

Another year. Another four year old. We are finished with our children's birthdays until April. So, April, please stay away for as long as you possibly can. I need to breathe for a minute before another one of our children turn another year older.