Today, my special little guy turned 4. You know, people often tell you to "enjoy them when they're little, because they grow up so fast," and you know what? They are absolutely right. It's been 4 years already? Geez. Where did all the time go? I mean, I can still recall the day I first laid eyes on Rome, after having his daddy proudly ask me if I would like to meet our son. Now, my special man is 4 and full of zest, spunk, and enough energy to drain both his daddy and I in an hour. Well, maybe not an hour, but sometimes it feels that way. My husband often tells me it's another way to tell we're just getting older and our bodies can't handle one little kid.

I've never been really big on parties or social gatherings, but last week we celebrated Rome's 4th birthday a little early with close friends and family. When he gets older, we'll certainly be able to invite his classmates and friends to celebrate with him, but we'll leave that up to Rome. This year, we decided to hold a small gathering and order food, cake, and other treats for everyone to enjoy while Rome had fun being around everyone. As the resident "mom-tographer," I was on hand to snap shots of everyone and enjoy our family's efforts to make sure our son had a wonderful and memorable birthday. 'Course, I made sure I had enough time to make it back to the counter where all the food was sitting and grab a plate (or two) to eat.

Today, I'm proud to see my little guy grow into a healthy boy who's sweet, lovable, and such a character, there's nothing I wouldn't change with him. The best part of watching him grow up is being there every step of the way with my camera. The funny thing about being an avid photographer is that people often expect that if you have children, they automatically know how to pose in front of the lens. I've found that some do, but my son usually likes to act up when I'm about to hit the shutter release button. I've had him cross his eyes, pucker up his face, and stick his tongue out, but that's one thing I love about Rome---he never ceases to give me something to take a picture of.

It's just another fun aspect of being a parent. Well, a parent with a camera always at hand.

Happy birthday, my darling and dearest Rome. You'll always be mommy's number one man and I'm looking forward to another 365 days of pure awesomeness.