Happy 1st Birthday, little man!
I can't believe that we are here now, that we've arrived at this day so quickly! Your Daddy and I have heard over and over and over again that this would happen. In fact, on one of our very first walks with you, just a week or so after you were born, we met a man walking his dog. He stopped us so he could peek at you under your blankets in the stroller and told us what an amazing gift you were. He warned us that raising you would go way too fast, and we've heard that said so many times we couldn't possibly forget. On this day, we remember how excited we were in the days before you were born, and how afterwards, how quickly and miraculously our thoughts and days changed: how we instantly and immensely loved you and how we couldn't even dream of life without you in it.
I can't believe what a little man you have grown to be already! I'm sure I'll be saying that many times over until you're no longer a little man, but a real man. Max, you have the widest four-toothed smile and you quickly and easily share it with others. You are always engaging people around you by giving them that grin or saying "hey" in that little voice of yours, if they aren't looking your way. When you see something you like, you stick your legs straight out in front of you, point your toes, wave your arms, gesture wildly, and say "oooh, oooooh." You are such a sweet and affectionate little boy. You want to bring every one of your stuffed animals (Ducky, Scout, Bunny and Bear) with you when you leave your room each morning and after your naps. You offer them hugs and then throw them on the floor, only to pick them up and do it again. You also seek Daddy and me out to give us hugs and we still can't believe how lucky we are to be at the receiving end of those perfect little embraces. You are learning how to use your voice and put words together right now. You've got "mama" and "dada" and "nana" down pat. You like "off" when you are pulling apart your building blocks or taking off Daddy's slippers and "up" when you're crawling up the stairs. You understand "kiss" and oblige with a wet, open-mouthed peck on the cheek, but just laugh at us when we say "no, sir" to your game of throwing food and utensils off your high chair tray. You've started using an insistency with your voice, which comes out sounding like a baby version of Don Vito Corleone, from The Godfather. I'm hoping I can get it on video before it's gone and at the same time praying it doesn't last too long. Your favorite toys involve music, and stacking blocks, and still include those trusty pairs of socks, which you quickly pull off your feet as soon as they are applied and carry around everywhere.
You are such a great combination of Daddy and me that it is sometimes hard for us to know which parts came from whom. We like to say you are Daddy from the nose up and Mommy from the nose down, but that's not completely right either. You're just ours, that's for sure. We share the brown eyes and long lashes, and you and Daddy have the same little ears. You've got his hair line and my narrow upper lip. You are a social being, like your father, and just as persistent. You have curiosity and are detail-oriented like me. I love watching you learn things about the world because I get to see and learn them again through your eyes. It makes everything seem shinier and brighter. You are independent and fearless, especially when it comes to climbing stairs, or crawling around on raised surfaces like our bed, where you would without a second thought go off head-first. It's the same with water - you let us float you on your back, you crawl right into the crashing waves on the beach, and swim around in the lake with your flotation ring, chasing after balls or splashing with your uncles. It's refreshing, yet a little frightening, to see you just go for it. I know you get this from Daddy! Watching you play and share a secret laugh with him makes me love him even more than I thought was possible, just because I've seen him be your dad. It floods me with emotion when I consider that you are a product of our love for each other, and made up of all the best parts of us. I wonder if it will ever stop overwhelming me... I think probably not.
My sweet boy, we love you so much! I don't feel like I can completely capture with words everything that you are or how much we love you, but perhaps you will read this one day and feel the love and joy you bring to us. You are the answer to our prayers. You are so bright and so sweet. You have changed us in ways we could never have understood until you were born. You are our first son. We are so proud of you, and we feel so incredibly blessed to be your parents.
With all my love,
Momma
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