Four years have passed in the blink of an eye. Today, my last baby boy, my dear, sweet G turns four. Happy Birthday Griffin.

At four, you are still our independent soul, out to conquer the world on your own terms. You have a strong personality and refuse to let a little thing like being the youngest of three boys affect your ability to keep up. You keep up or you kill yourself trying. Sometimes, it can get to be too much for you, this fierce desire to be as good as and as old as your brothers. My heart broke when you found me after a recent soccer match against your brothers. Your face was streaked with tears, your shoulders shaking as you confessed, "I will never be as good as them in soccer! Never!" I assured you would be as good as them, someday, but I am not sure my whispered words of encouragement gave you any comfort at all.

You love as deeply as you strive to keep up. You are a hugger and a love to all of your family. You love music, to sing and to dance. You have even demanded your own playlist on my ipod, but not a playlist filled with kiddie songs like your brothers enjoyed at your age. You carefully selected each and every song on your list to groove by, insuring that each song had a beat to move and dance. And dance you do, it is almost like you can not contain yourself the moment you hear music. You run, you jump, you bust a move with glee, all in time to the music.

You love to eat and continue to astound all of us with your penchant for veggies and fruit. I swear you were born a natural vegetarian, because you would choose a carrot over a burger any day of the week.

Your favorite television shows are Franklin, Arthur and Curious George. You love to read, especially the books "You Can't Go to School Naked" and "The Night I Followed the Dog," both selections you recite by memory as I read them to you. You love to play elaborate lego battles with your brothers, hide n seek with your mom, and nerf battles with your dad.

You are an old soul, mature beyond a four year old. It is a comment that I hear again and again, from your teachers, your friends' parents, from our family. But you still allow me to baby you every once and again, to snuggle into my arms for a cuddle, and it is those moments I cherish the most.

You loved that it was your birthday today, a day special all for you to shine among our family of five. You walked with a swagger and ate up every last bit of attention. It was your day to be in charge and you conquered it with satisfaction. Our four year old little old man, taking on the world, one day at a time.

Four years truly have passed in a moment. Four years of love, laughter and snuggles. Happy Birthday to our baby, our love of a Griffin.