Gabriel is Four!

Gabriel is my baby.  I make no protest about it.  He was born tiny, induced for failure to thrive in the womb.  He was 5 lbs. and has stayed extremely small ever since.  He's been gluten free for a while now and has been putting on weight much faster since then, but he's still just barely growing out of size 2T at age four.  Zack is my little buddy, my athlete, my big boy.  Gabriel is my baby.  He's a quiet soul.  He likes to play alone with his toys, but he likes to have someone nearby.  He loves to color, but only abstracts; he refuses to draw any actual representations.  He loves to lie down on the floor and roll cars around.  He loves to walk slowly and take in every sight and sound.  He does not like to be the center of attention.  He does not like to be stared at or touched.  Yesterday, on his 4th birthday, he informed me that I may not call him my baby anymore, because he is a big boy.  I will have to work very hard to make sure I let this precious little one grow up.  Because he is growing up, and fast.

He got to open his present in the morning so he could play with it all day.  Daddy put it together before he went to work.  We all met up at the American Club for playground, swimming, and birthday dinner.  I brought GF cupcakes for candles and singing, but Gabriel told us we had to sing very quietly so that no one would look at him.  Of course, everyone was already looking at him because he has huge green eyes that can stare into your soul.  He wouldn't blow out his candles until everyone looked away.

We enjoyed quiet birthdays this year.  I decided trying to put on a party would be too much stress.  Zack's birthday fell only 3 days after we arrived, so there was not way to get anything together.  Maybe next year we'll be able to get a sleepover together; that is Zack's favorite type of party.

Happy Birthday, Gabriel!