Happy 4th Birthday Caden!

Today is your 4th Birthday Caden! I can't believe how fast these years have flown! You are honestly one of the most caring, thoughtful 4 year olds I have met. You have so much love and compassion to give it amazes me. You are wonderful with your little brother and love your older sister to death! You help Courtney when she is sick and watch out for Colin when he is doing what he shouldn't be doing (all the time!). You "mow" the lawn everyday in your perfect lines, even in the rain! You Vacuum the house in those same perfect lines and do the most precise job ever! You are a wonderful "daddy" to your Ooh Ooh Aah Aah's (Monkey's) and take the best care of them! You wash them when they are dirty. Care for them when they sick and hug them when they are sad. You even put them to bed when you leave for school and put band-aids on the boo's boo's when they get vacuumed up on accident!

Although your just now picking up words and becoming more verbal, you have always found a way to express your needs and wants. You began sign language at the age of 15 months and have taught it to not only us, but to Courtney and Colin as well! You have taught me that although you are a special needs child, that you can do most things that others can, if not better and with more perfection. You thrive on structure and only need to see/hear or be directed one time before you can figure anything out. You can dissect any electronic thing and put it back together again without a second thought. You have more intelligence than I think I will ever have! You are very sensory driven and that guides you. You sleep with a weighted blanket at night, as well as 7 monkey's wrapped up. They go everywhere with us! When you leave for school you pick one and he gets to spend the day with you. You are thankful for so much, and we are thankful for you! I could never imagine you being a "normal" child. Your quirks and disabilities are what makes you who you are and I would never want you to be any other way! You have brought so much to my life too. I have done things that I would never think, I have attended seminars and looked at life through all different angles, angles that I never wold have thought possible to be a part of our daily life. I have made life long friends all because of YOU, that I would never have had the chance of meeting otherwise! You have taught Courtney to look at all people equal and look past any differences and disabilities they might have. And she does! Do you have any idea at just 4 years old the difference you have made to us?

I hope you have a great birthday today little man. When we asked you what you wanted for your birthday today, your response was a "blue" oohooh aah aah. We'll have to wait until later tonight to see if you got your one request!