Just yesterday, you were a little tyke. This adorable, chubby-cheeked ball of sweetness. Your fingers had little buttons of pudge, your lips were always ready for kisses, and you looked just like your daddy. See?

Sometimes I wish I could go back in time, hold you in my arms, and sing you to sleep as I walk around the house. I wish you still patted me on the back with every hug and spoke with a lisp because you didn’t have all of your adult teeth yet. You used to let me dress you in adorable outfits, play with your hair, and paint funny designs on your nails. As a munchkin, you would do the pee-pee dance, rap to songs while singing only every other word, and call me to be your “poo-poo buddy” every time your belly hurt you.

How is it that twelve years have gone by in a blink of an eye? That you are in high school and already celebrating your 100th day of school? You are four feet taller, a decade and some older, and a bit more ornery than you were before. Yet, you really haven’t changed. I love new things about you now that you are 14. You are my best friend, my ride or die. Your arms are longer now, so they wrap around me with love. You have to hug “on top” now that you have surpassed my height. Our snuggle game is still strong and you tell me you will always be my baby. Most days after school, you run into the house to give me lovins. I love that you are my constant comedian, a free thinker, and you love this family of ours something fierce.

Madison Highland Prep

We are the lucky ones. Forever grateful to have a teenager just like you. Back in August, when you started your first day of high school, our family was here visiting and sent you off to your first day of freshman year. We hoped that this would be the longest year yet, that maybe time would slow down just a little bit. Yet, we are looking back 100 days from now. 100 days have already passed. Recognizing your 100th day of school takes me back to your elementary school days when you made projects to celebrate. Whether it be in kindergarten gluing noodles onto a piece of construction paper with “100” on it, or second grade when you took in a huge colorful poster board…I took those days for granted. I truly didn’t realize how quickly each of those “100th days of school” would go. Here we are with only three more left to acknowledge and I will never take those days for granted again.

For more personal blog posts from Jes, check out:

No. 1 | Our Arizona Adventures

No. 2 | When Your Daughter Feels Beautiful

No. 3 | Parents. Grandparents. Lovebirds