Buddy,

You’re one year old now and I can’t seem to find where that time went. It seems like yesterday that your little 6 pound body would snuggle with me while you slept on my chest at night. It seems like yesterday that you grumbled, grumbled, grumbled all the time. It just seems like yesterday that I could hold you firmly balanced on my forearm as I rocked you to sleep as I inhaled the smell of your soft skin in the dark of the night.

But now look at you. You’re no longer the baby reacting to the world, you’re now a little boy making the world react to you. Every time I look at you, my heart smiles. I love you so much my little man. And boy do you love your Daddy. Lately, you’ve been screaming out “DADA!” whenever the urge strikes. You have been playing with Dada more than ever as you crawl around the floor like a little monkey. Just last weekend you found it hilarious that Daddy would want to thump his feet on the bed with you while we lay next to each other, gazing at the ceiling. It was so hilarious that we spent the next 10 minutes thumping away – holding our feet in the air until you decided it was time to thump our heels down on the bed. We continued this until Daddy’s ab muscles were begging me to stop. Our other game recently is “share the binky.” You think it’s so funny when Daddy puts your binky in his mouth. Inevitably you’ll get the binky out of my mouth, put it in yours for a few seconds and then take it out and put it in mine. I am so very honored that you want to share your binky – your most prized possession – with me.

Have I mentioned how much I love you? I never really understood how deeply someone can be loved until I had you and your sister. You mesmerize me. You captivate me in a way I’ve never experienced before. I love your soulful eyes. I love the way you snuggle into me as I pick you up each morning from your crib. I love that you are my son. I love that I will get to spend my lifetime with you in my life.

You have done so much in one little year. You have changed my life forever and I didn’t even know it needed changing. Thank you for energy. Thank you for your smile. Thank you for your spirit. But best of all, thank you for your love. I can’t wait to love you even more tomorrow.

Happy First Birthday, my little Chunky Monk. Your Daddy loves you.

Always,
Daddy.