5 J's and Lulu: Journey Kay is FOUR

My dearest Journey Kay,

I am writing this post late. You've been four for two weeks. You've finally mastered holding up four fingers. You've been so used to holding up three that it took a little while to get the motions down. You're tall and people mistake you for a Kindergartner. They are obviously insane. When I look at you I still see my newborn. When your hair is wet and slicked down and all I see is your big brown eyes I swear you're still that baby laying in my arms staring up at me while you nurse. Your height chart puts you at 42 inches and the weight scale says 40 pounds but again they are probably wrong.
When I think about you I smile. I think about your laugh and how it's contagious and it makes me laugh. You are a funny little thing. So creative and silly. I hear you walking through the house saying in a robot voice "I am Robot Journey. Here comes Robot Journey" Or when you "shake your hiney"
You also really love gymnastics. You flip off the couch and our bed is your trampoline. You do front flips, tornado jumps, back bends, walk overs and cart wheels anywhere you can find a soft place to land. At Jonah's soccer practices, my lap is your gym. You will do at least 30 back flips off my lap in a row. It keeps you busy I guess. You love your Daddy. You call him "Meeps" and he calls you "Meeps or Meepers" I don't know why and I'm not supposed to. You two are two peas in a pod. Anywhere he goes you want to go and it's usually outside. He is outside a lot watering the garden or walking Dakota and you are right there with him. You will never miss a chance to be outside with your Dad. Jonah almost never wants to go so we stay home but you two are hand in hand. You spread the love though. I don't feel neglected. You're my baby too and at bedtime I am all you want. You reach for me and cry if I am not the one putting you to bed and you win almost every time. We sit in your chair and read a couple books then you turn off the light switch with your toes (I lift you up to do this) and then you lay in my lap while I hold, sing and rock you to sleep. Every night. 90% of the time I fall asleep too. :) Your dad has to come in and wake me and I pick you up and tuck you into bed. You're one of those sleepers that is just out cold when they sleep. We can move you from the car seat to bed without a flinch.
I am buying size 5T at the stores now when I shop and size 12 shoes. I feel like I should be in the boys department shopping for Jonah but I'm not. Shouldn't I be in the infant baby girl area picking out 6 and 9 month clothes?!?! I have to say that you are more in 4's and size 11 shoes right now but I am shopping for Fall and thinking that unless I stop feeding you that you will keep growing and these sizes will fit eventually.
You are very tall and strong. You've been using your kip bar that Mema and Papa got you for your birthday and it builds up a lot of core muscle.
You are writing your name beautifully. The J is sometimes backwards and you always need help remembering how the Y goes but it's so good. You're also picking out small words in sentences. Brother has been working with you and is determined to have you reading. You prefer to "read" us the story on your own. You make up the story based on hearing it before and the pictures you see. I love hearing what you come up with.
One of my favorite things right now is Tuesday mornings. Jonah is at school and I am working upstairs and you are up here with me playing. The tv is off because it's free-play time so you're left with nothing but toys. And you get them all to yourself. You usually get out your shopkins and barbie bins and play. You talk for the barbies and for the little shopkins making up all sorts of stories. They go on car rides and to the movies. Sometimes they get in trouble and get dessert taken away. Or you're a pet doctor and lay out all the stuffed animals putting bandaids on them and taking their blood pressure. You also really love stickers and drawing. Your little people are the cutest things. I'm always amazed at how well you draw. You don't even have to tell me it's a whale because it's clearly a whale with a tale and spout. You don't hold your pencil correctly when you write but that will come. You're pretty stubborn and strong willed. But so am I. We butt heads from time to time and I'm sure it will continue.
You're my shopping partner and always down to go shopping for clothes. You love to try on my heels. My closet is your happy place. (mine too baby! :) ) You love to pretend and we play mommy and baby a lot. Isn't that real life? But in this scenario you are just born and I'm always surprised at how well you talk and walk after just being born. You tell me what to say a lot. I don't get to contribute to the dialogue much. We play Ice Age a lot too because Jones love to be Diego. I'm usually Sherra and you're baby Sherra. You're always the baby. Your dad and I treat you like a baby too so it's our fault. We will feed you your dinner, help you drink out of a cup and carry you from place to place. I don't know what it is about you. You just love it so we do stuff for you even when you can do it yourself. We just love our baby girl so much and love keeping you little.
You're playing soccer now. Little Kicksters. It's kinda a joke. You could definitely be on a real team. It's just your birthday falls one week short of the cut off. So you end up being one of the oldest. It's ok though. I get a whole extra year with you! If you were born one week earlier I would be sending you off to Kindergarten next year. That thought makes me sick to my stomach. I rest easy because that's not happening for a long time.
Your hair is getting so long. It's beautiful. You're beautiful. I could stare at you all day. You've been wanting to switch into a booster seat. You're so tall but you're still too little. You sleep in the car still sometimes and you need that headrest. We're looking into some in between options.
Your favorite foods are fish sticks, pickles, jambalaya, chips, apples, soft pretzels and bacon. You're pretty picky but will try new foods. We have a Try New Foods chart which has helped keep track of new things you guys like. When we fill up the chart we promised to take you guys somewhere cool.

There aren't enough hours in the day to talk about all the things you do now. It's hard to believe you are four. I am trying to cherish each moment I get with you and burn it into my memory. It's these moments when I am cuddling you asleep in my arms I will need when you are a defiant teenager hell bent to turn my hair gray. :)
I can tell you that my life changed the moment I held you in my arms. I was already a mommy but now I was a mommy to a little girl. That I had never done before but I wasn't scared. I knew you all along. The moment I held you I knew we were going to be best friends. It's like we had known each other for so long already. You were the little one I sung to and asked you to kick one time if you were a boy and two times if you were a girl. You'd kick three times then some more. You were a wild silly thing from the get go. Always tricking me. Not a day goes by you don't make me laugh.