To my darling one year old

My darling boy, 

Today you are one! I am so excited to get to celebrate you and your first year of life today! 

I loved singing happy birthday to you when I came to get you from your crib, and making waffles with you for breakfast, and taking you for a walk in your wagon to see all of your favorite things in the neighborhood. After a long nap, you got to see Daddy for a few minutes after he got home from work and court before we had lunch with Miss Becca and Camille and Graham and Miss Amy and Samuel and Stephen at Chick Fil A. You tried frozen yogurt for the first time, but liked your strawberries better. You loved seeing Grandmom when she stopped by at lunch, and in the afternoon, decided to skip nap altogether to play with the new toy Daddy got you on his way home from work (a ball pit!). Then, you waited outside until Grandad, Grandmom, Uncle Will, and Aunt Rosie came by after school to bring you a card and visit! You loved your Chicken Pot Pie for dinner, and blueberries with cream for dessert. You opened cards from aunts and uncles, some new books, and a piggy bank from Gammy and PopPaw and played in your sink bath 'til Daddy put you to bed. I think you had a pretty wonderful day, though except for the treats and present, it wasn't so very different from most days for you. 

You are such a happy baby, and I think that is mostly because you are so very loved (and constantly entertained) by so many wonderful people. When I thought about one day when we had our first baby, I knew I would love you, but I wasn't prepared for the love I know now that you are here. You bring joy to me every day. Every morning when I wake up to the sound of you talking or your cry, I smile knowing that raising you is the thing more wonderful than sleep. I am so happy to get to spend my days with you. 

You are an amazing (little) man already. I love to see your mind work. Almost every day, we will show you how to do something once, and you watch us do it, and then excitedly try it yourself. You often are able to mimic our actions the first time. Other times you can't quite get it, but we try and encourage you to, instead of getting frustrated, keep trying. When you try a few more times, you are usually able to succeed, and you are so proud of yourself when you do! 

It has been so special to get to watch you develop language and a love for reading as of late. Just this morning you handed me "Hand Hand Fingers Thumb" only minutes after waking. I patted my lap and you crawled into it and settled in to hear the whole book. A few weeks ago, after a trip to the library, you sat on my lap on a rainy afternoon and listened while I read all 18 board books. You now start to point out things in the book - obvious ones, and some not-so-obvious things, and ask about them, or laugh at them. 

You have started, just this week to put words together. You've been saying "Hi Dada" and "Hi dog" for awhile now, but this week for the first time you said "Dada, bubble." pointing to your bubbles, and also "Dog, out" as you went to let Foster out of his crate. Today, you pointed to your riding toy that has two little faces on it, and said "eye!" I asked you where your eye was, and you pointed to it! Last week, you were eating lunch at Grandmom and Grandad's house, and you started saying "Yiih-yah", I picked you up, and you pointed me to the picture of your cousin Lyla. The other day, you were frustrated by the fact that I was taking a shower instead of playing with you, so I asked you where your blue scoop was, that we wash your hair with when you take a bath, and you picked it up and gave it to me! Also, you will often find a tennis ball and say "Hey dog!" (hay-da) and pat your leg until Foster comes to take his ball from you. We also will ask you to "look at Momma" or to "give the book to Aunt Rosie" or "wave to Uncle Will" and you complete all such tasks. My favorite word to hear you say (besides the beautiful sound of "mama" ) is "bubble". It's such a sweet, cute word coming out of your mouth!

With more Independence, we are also starting to have to put more work into teaching you how to obey. You would prefer to throw food off of your tray when you are done eating rather than to ask for "out". We are trying to teach you to do the latter first rather than after food starts to hit the floor. Also, you are starting to scream out when you are excited or upset, and we are trying to teach you to have an "inside" excited voice, and not to yell when you're upset. I am praying for wisdom in how to best teach you how to choose good things.

I've asked your grandparents and even some great grandparents how they would describe you so far. I love their answers. "A little explorer!" (Great Grandpa Paiva) "Adventurous!" Grandad Gilman "social" "a sweetheart'! Everyone agrees you are intelligent, social, HAPPY, funny, fun, sweet, love to cuddle, LOVE to be outside, love to read, love to PLAY. You love all animals. You aren't scared by much, but you aren't reckless either. I can see you weigh out doing certain things. More often than not, though, you choose to try new things with an adventurous spirit, and, for the most part, you know to stay away from the things you've been warned not to go near. You are quick and love to climb and you crawled and walked and talked early. You love life and love sleep and good, healthy food. You are sweet to your momma and daddy, and light up, clap, wave your hands, and laugh when your family members come through the door. You love to play games, and have a quick sense of humor already. You are independent - you much prefer to feed yourself, and seem to have pretty much weaned yourself through your desire to want to get down and play and feed yourself rather than holding still and depending on others. You still love to cuddle, though, or have your back patted, or read in our laps, or be rocked. 

You have just recently learned to be quiet during prayer time, and to hold hands and say your version of "Amen" when we've finished, I watch you watching your aunts and uncles and grandparents during prayer time and copy their behavior. I love your respect and sensitivity to others, but most of all, I love that you are learning from those around you to love Jesus. I pray that your heart will we bound with Christ and you will love him with an unbreakable love like the love He has for you. 

I sometimes catch a glimpse of what you might be like when you are grown...I would have no greater happiness that you for you to grow into a happy, healthy man who loves the Lord and has the fruit of the spirit in his life. Oh the joys you have ahead of you! Until then, I'm soaking up every day of how your hair smells when you've just gotten out of the bath, and how your eyes light up when you learn something new, and how tickled you get when you figure out a new game, and what your sweet face looks like when you look up at me and ask for "Mama!". You bring such a beautiful hope and life to this world. I pray that is a gift you will always share with those around you. You are an amazing, very loved little boy, and I am so humbled and proud to get to be your momma. 

I pray for you each night to have sweet dreams, to keep growing strong and healthy, and to know and love God more each day. The verse I pray for you is from Micah 6:8 and it is that you will "live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God."

I love you, my darling Jack. I am so excited about this next year with you and all of the adventures it holds with you as our sweet, fun, adventuresome sidekick. 

Much, much love, 

Momma