Your First Year

Well, my little man, in a couple of weeks we will be celebrating your first birthday. I have been keeping myself busy and focused on planning you a couple of parties- one we just celebrated this weekend in Columbus with daddy's side of the family, and one we will be celebrating on your actual birthday with all your Arizona friends and family.
  Planning these parties keeps my mind off the fact that I am sad that this first year is coming to an end.  Don't get me wrong- I am so happy that you are healthy and doing so well, and I am so excited about being your mommy in the years to come, but still, the first birthday is kind of bittersweet. Its bittersweet because it marks the end of what has been, by far, the best year of my life.

"Smoldering Eyes"

  From the moment I laid eyes on you, my life changed so much, and all for the better. I went from being overly concerned with cleaning and keeping things in order to letting the house be full of trucks, blocks, basketballs and other baby toys. Instead of being bothered by fingerprints on the glass doors, I like to look at them and see how your sweet hands have pushed on the glass as your steady yourself to walk or pull up. I went from needing 8+ hours of sleep per night to waking up in the middle of the night missing you and wishing you would wake up so I could hold you.

"Ba-ba-Baw"

  You have changed a lot in the past year too. You started sleeping through the night at around 7 months old, you have gotten 8 teeth so far, you took your first steps at 9.5 months, and now you are running all around the house. At your 9 month check up your doctor was blown away by your communication skills. She said you were very smart for your age. We think you are very assertive. You always know exactly what you want and you are good at telling us. You are silly- you like giving us "smoldering eyes" when you sit at the dinner table, you smile and laugh a lot. You love mommy to sing to you in the car (even though I have a terrible voice), and you are absolutely obsessed with basketballs. We think that was your first word- you always point to your basketball and say "Ba-ba-baw" then move your hand up and down like you are dribbling. You are also a really good eater. You are small for your age but you eat everything, and a lot of it! You usually like eating whatever mommy and daddy are eating best. You don't like sitting in your high chair waiting on the food, and sometimes you cry, but you always stop crying when we start to pray, because you know that means food is next!  You and I are pretty much attached at the hip. I have had to leave church a few times because you cry when we are separated. You usually don't let me make dinner without holding you in one of my arms, and you melt my heart every night when you lay your head on my shoulder before going to sleep.
  Now, at only 11.5 months, you have captured the heart of your mommy, daddy, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and many others. You have SO MANY people who love you and I thank God for that. I pray for you every night as I hold you in my arms that you feel loved all the days of your life. I am pretty sure that it is guaranteed you will.
   I love you so much my boy, and I can't wait to see what this next year holds.
Love,
Momma