Dear H, 1 Years Old

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Dear H,

Things you have loved since birth: light, music, and nature.

When you were an itty bitty, you always turned your head toward the window, toward the sunlight that escaped from the skylight and the warm glow of the lamps in the library. You were and are drawn to the bright and the radiant.

Now that you are bigger, one of your favorite spots is by the window. You stand there and point enthusiastically at the roadrunners and lizards, bobcats and coyotes. You want to be carried outside where you can feel the wind in your hair. On most nights, I strap you into the red wagon and we walk in circles around the back porch. When the weather cools, I know we'll be out on leisurely neighborhood walks and hikes in Sabino Canyon.

When you have to be inside, you push chairs around the house, grinning with pride & joy. You also like to put your fingers on the piano keys. When music plays, you bop up and down, dancing in the adorable way that toddlers do.

You like books - pulling them off of the bookshelf and having me read stacks of them. The "That's Not My...(Puppy, Monkey, Lion, Monster)" series by Usborne are your favorite.

You are the picture of good health. In the past year, you were only sick once. You have cheeks and thighs that earn you dozens of compliments. Coupled with your sparkling blue eyes and your contagious smile, you are a wonder.

You have liked every food you've ever tried and that's been quite a variety - mahi-mahi, broccoli, yogurt, salmon, peanuts, cheddar cheese, mangos, and blueberries. Of course, as baby #4, you fight for your spot at the dessert table too. You are quite a fan of ice cream.

Other important things - you adore your dad. As soon as Tim walks in the door, you start crying. Not because you are unhappy, but because you demand that he immediately pick you up. If I try to take you back, you bury your head in his shoulder with a chorus of "da-da-da's." I think you especially appreciate that he will walk you outside - showing you the bugs and the flowers. At bedtime, though, you come to me willingly, waving "night night" to all.

From the very beginning, you have been a happy baby. Sweet, charming, and winsome. People at parties coo over your friendliness and contentment. When I flew with you at 3 months, you were a model baby. Now that you are entering the danger age of bumps and bruises, you have some well-earned tears - but you are mostly very brave.

The past twelve months have zoomed by. I soaked them in and really savored your babyhood. My only regret is that I didn't ask someone to take more photos - especially of the two of us. There are only one or two photos of us together, despite the fact that you were and are almost always in my arms.

What else can I say about your 1st year? Except this: I am profoundly grateful. You are the boy I never knew I wanted. When I first saw the sonogram, I was shocked, but also filled with a quiet kind of joy that slowly crept and filled the all of me. Your entrance into our family is, in the words of L.M. Montgomery, "positively providential." The Sheaffer Six - it just seems right.

We call you "handsome, healthy, happy, humble, and heroic" - and you are indeed all of those things. And so much more. We love you, sweet boy.

At age 1 -

  • You have six teeth (four on the top, two on the bottom).
  • You crawl - fast.
  • You walk alongside furniture and walls.
  • You balance, standing without assistance.
  • You say "da-da," "ma-ma," "night-night," and "bye-bye."
  • You wave hello and goodbye.
  • You clap your hands - ready to celebrate with those around you.
  • You occasionally take two naps, but are moving into one nap territory.
  • You sleep in your own bedroom - on a double mattress on the floor.
  • Your favorite toys? Hmm. We don't have very many toys and you mostly just like to be outside. If I had to choose, though, I'd say you are fond of books + balls.
Dear H, 1 Years Old 1
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