~One Year Old~

Dear Rowen,

Today you are one year old.  Today your dad and I have kept you alive for an entire year.  I still remember every second of this day last year--how tiny you felt in my arms, and how amazing it was that such a little person could change your life in an instant.

Today isn't about that day though, but rather the year we have had with you.  It has been simply put, magical.  You are the light of our lives.  The first born, my first baby.  When I think about showing you these letters some day, I try to think of things that I would want you to know.  Here are a list of a few things about you this past year:

1. You are what everyone considers an easy baby.  I will have to remind myself of this in your toddler and teenage years.  But everyone loves how easy going and happy you are.  You slept through the night since five weeks old and eat anything and everything.  You simply love to be loved.

2.  Everyone says you look exactly like your dad, but you have my eyebrows and my chin, so don't you forget it! Right now your hair is a little bit wavy and light brown, and if you catch the sun just right, you can see red highlights.  I like to think its the ginger fighting through.  You have the darkest of darkest brown eyes, with the prettiest long eyelashes.  You make women envious everywhere you go with your long eyelashes.

3.  Your favorite songs are You are my Sunshine and Wheels on the Bus.  If I don't do all of the hand motions to Wheels on the Bus you get mad!

4.  You are literally days away from walking.  You have taken a few small steps here and there and I know its only a matter of time before you completely take off!

5.  You LOVE Jack and Lola.  If they would let you follow them everywhere you would.  We are teaching you to be gentle with them and you could pat-pat-pat them on the head all day long.

6.  You are an early riser, sleep on your belly, and sleep for a long time each night!

7. Your favorite foods right now are spaghetti, strawberries, mandarin oranges, and apples.  You aren't a huge fan of vegetables, but you will finish them all.  When you get really hungry, you growl and grumble until you are no longer hungry.  

8. Your favorite toy is your stuffed dog, affectionately named dog. He sleeps with you every night and when we let him out of the crib you drag him all over the house.

9. You have four teeth on top and two teeth on bottom.

10.  When you want to you have a bit of a temper.  It is short lived, but is mighty for one so small! And sometimes it is accompanied by a single rolling tear. 

11.  You love to cuddle us.  Sometimes when we pick you up you just lay your head on our shoulder for a little while and it is the sweetest thing in the world.

12. We call you row row, Chicken, Chicken little, The Baby, and gremlin.  And Rowen too.

How do you quantify a year?  Its hard to imagine what life without you was like.  Obviously we have those memories, but remembering that  you weren't there just doesn't seem like how they actually happened.  But they did, and so did this wonderful year.  A year that may just go down in the books as being the best.

Happy Birthday our sweet little boy, we love you so so much!