To my son, on your first birthday

Dear sweet little Baby H,

Do you know you just had a birthday? You are one now; no longer a little baby, though you’re still my little man. You’re a toddler now and are really becoming aware of yourself and all that is around you. You are curious and are always trying new things. I love to watch you explore and grow. It was amazing to watch you start crawling, and now you’re a pro at that and have moved on to bigger things, like walking. Just a month ago you were barely taking a few steps, and now you can walk all around the room.

You’ve probably noticed all the extra attention you’ve been getting, plus all the family and friends that came to visit during a recent weekend. Did you notice that your grandparents flew in all the way from California just to celebrate with you? We had a blast doing a dual Halloween and first birthday party for you. You were adorable in your lion cub costume, and so many other adorable littles came dressed in costume to party with you.

I’m sure your favorite part of that weekend was getting to destroy that delicious cake. We enjoyed watching you tentatively slap the cake, then taste it and realize what it was before diving right in with both hands. You probably don’t remember, but you got so overwhelmed by all the guests that you just took a nap right there at your party.

I am so proud of how much you’ve grown in this past year and so in awe of you every day. Watching you change from a squishy newborn to an active little boy has been such an amazing experience. It is so much fun to interact with you. I’m enjoying seeing you develop your personality and I absolutely love your squeals and giggles.

You really are an awesome little guy and I am so thankful to have you in my life. I’m looking forward to sharing your second year with you and helping you develop new skills and enjoy new experiences.

Love,

Mama