The last FIRST year…

(This has been an overwhelming time period for me.  I am sure you read all about it.  Part of that is the discovery of posts like this…ones that were drafted but never published…sigh…so here is a VERY LATE birthday greeting.  That seems to be a theme for me this week.  But here we go again,  a birthday letter to my C (now 16 months), many months late.  But I will say that I found this on the BEST day because I had a horrid day with C yesterday and reading this just filled my heart with the joyful reminders of mothering)

My baby, the last baby, is turning one today. 

You haven’t heard much about him this year, but here I am trying to capture the joy that is my little guy.

C (now 1) has been slow to get into “real” food.   He is finally eating cheerios and some small pieces of food.  But he mostly spits it back out after chewing.  Of course, it is really fun when he just blows raspberries with a mouthful of green beans.

He is just so much fun to watch.  Oh the faces and the giggles crack us up!

He is cruising around on furniture with ease and taking a few steps in a row pretty regularly.  He is so determined to learn to walk!  

Of course, his crawling is still the fastest method for him!

He often prefers mommy.  And, yes, I am quite happy about that.  There isn’t much that replaces that feeling of a little one reaching his arms out for you.  I love when I enter a room and he looks up, smiles, and crawls over.  Then he stops and raises his arms up or begins standing up, using my legs for balance.

And while he might prefer mommy at times, his affection for his daddy is clear!  When daddy gets home from work, C immediately begins trying to get attention from his daddy.

He loves being one of the gang now!  His siblings do a great job including him in their activities.

Of course, C’s ability to crawl and play has caused his three year old brother to re-evaluate where he keeps his toys.  The two boys are working out their friendship as they enter this new “battleground”.  Without a doubt, D (age 3), has a special place in C’s mind!  As soon as he sees his big brother, his face just lights up!

 

I love everything about having a little one again!  Every stage of C’s life has been such a joy to watch. 

This month I was laying in bed, asleep, when the sounds of a little baby giggling at himself woke me up.  It was the most precious sound! 

Happy Birthday to my little guy!  I love you dearly and look forward to your next year!