Apparently, you don’t want me to write this anymore than I. You’ve become the master of micro-naps. Currently, you are asleep in the sling.

Whoop, no, awake now. And quite sweaty. But in a rosy pink, could-you-get-any-cuter type of way.

You’re staring up at with with your studious blue eyes and furrowed brow. You’re gonna be a thinker like your daddy, I just know it.

But theology, philosophy, physics, and all that muck (I’ve been reading Harry Potter again, forgive the British colloquialisms) won’t be the only source of happiness and fulfillment for you. You can’t survive a minute without human attention and affection. I thank the Lord for your cuddles. You will run right up to me, throw your hands around my neck (I’m sitting on the ground, you’re not that tall) and collapse on my shoulder. And my heart melts. Over and over again.

And now you’re picking at the mole on my neck.

Apparently you can’t take the drivel. You boy, you.

And it’s the truth, really. You are a boy. Through and through. Olivia doesn’t climb on chairs simply to conquer them. With her hands in the air, clapping victoriously. No, that’s you. And all your baby-testosterone. You’re gonna eat worms some day. Whether it be on a bet, to disgust a girl, or to prove to said girl you are worthy of her five-year-old heart. Or all of the above.

And now you’re trying to write your own birthday letter.

vgbcb bnm v vbn5t6gfr

Hey, that’s not how this works.

[Many hours later…]

Well, your first year of life is officially over. Do you remember what all you did? Here’s a recap:

(Click on the pictures to make them bigger.)

You were born. You were pretty small, though larger than most, I believe, at 8 lb 13 oz. You arrived at 5:55 pm, less than an hour and a half after we checked into the hospital. So, even though you waited a full week after your official due date to bless us with your presence, once you decided to come, you came pretty fast.

You had TWO Easters. In ONE year. Yeah, I know. Crazy. You wore your first tie one week after birth. Such the stud.

For the longest time, this is all you would do. Just lay there and stare at anything and everything. Well, that and sleep. And nurse. It was a really relaxing time for me.

I need pictures to remind myself of the days when you couldn’t even hold your own head of your shoulders. Look! You have no neck! You couldn’t stand/sit/crawl/walk. You were motionless.

But you were hard at work in those motionless days. You were learning the world around you. These are the same studious blue eyes and the same furrowed brow that stare at me today. I hope you keep that look of concentration. It’ll do you well in grad school some day.

You spent a lot of time in the traveling this year. In just one short year of living, you’ve experience car, plane, AND train. All that’s left is a boat. Oh, and you’ve been on bicycle (and TRIcycle!), does that count? (And there’s that look again…)

You’ve even hiked mountains. But you don’t remember it. And you didn’t do ANY of the walking. Your preferred mode of travel was (and is) the sling.

Behold! You learned the key to a mommy’s heart! A toothless smile will get you anywhere you want to go in this life. At least, until a certain age.

But you’re still in that age. Don’t worry. There are a million ways to make you laugh, and we employ those methods daily. Because without your smile, our lives would be left with a gaping void.

Ah, here you are in your first toga. You wore it well. And, apparently, this is one of the aforementioned smile-inducers.

This picture gives the illusion you like your bed. This is not true. Do not be fooled. You currently are fighting naptime, bedtime, and any other occasion where you have to be without the people you love. Which is why you still spend most, if not all, the night with us.

It hasn’t all be smiles this year. You’ve had a couple colds through which you’ve bravely fought. Even RSV was no match for my little warrior.

You outgrew your carseat entirely too early. (Here you are in your new one.) Just look at those rolls.

The days of motionless watching and learning eventually passed. You learned to sit up; what joy! The world will soon be yours. Well, once you fight it from your sister anyway (she currently owns it).

And what’s this? It seems the same day you sat comfortably for the first time, you decided you were ready for more adventures. Crawling! What next?

I’ll tell you want came next. Anything remotely dangerous, that’s what. Fans were of particular interest, as they had rapidly rotating blades.

From crawling to more daring feats. It won’t be long now…

Speaking of daring feats, did I mention the time you became a Jedi Master?

And then you learned to stand. (In that order.) Immediately following the standing, you learned to take the silverware out of the dishwasher and scatter it throughout the apartment.

You got yourself into some pretty tight situations. Oh, yes, you did. And I’m pretty sure you were walking by this point. I was too busy keeping everything Benjamin-proof to take pictures, I guess.

You grew a mullet. And I arranged to have it cut off. While you’re living under my roof, young man, there are a few rules you’re going to have to adhere to…

Your first Christmas tree. That was a pretty interesting time. So much to see, feel, and taste… I finally had to move the coffee table in front of the tree to keep you from eating light bulbs.

Your first Christmas was a very fun time. We even let you chew on some wrapping paper. See, we’re not all bad.

Your first visit to the emergency room. It probably was completely unnecessary. But as we’d never had a child bleed out the mouth as much as you were, we decided to be better safe than sorry.

It was love-at-first-sight with you and that power drill. I foresee many a birdhouse and spice rack in your future.

Your first dance. (But second wedding.) And, by the way, you’re not allowed to dance with any non-relatives until you’re 25.

Your first musical instrument. But not your last! You also play the kazoo. And the Xylophone. And the pots and pans. You’re quite talented.

You love your books. Your favorite has some fuzzy animals in it, but you’re up for anything, really. We have learned it is most beneficial to give you a book on a full stomach, though.

You insist on being up where the action is. Which can make cooking and baking difficult for a mommy. So we compromise with the sling. This is how we made cheesecake.

You were pretty old by the time your first snow came. You stared and stared out the window until I finally took you and your sister out to make a snowman. You quickly realized it’s no fun to be cold.

We tried to keep you from solid foods for the first six months of your life, but it wasn’t easy. By the time you were a year, you were eating everything we were (except peanut butter – although you did steal that Reese’s cup that one time…). You completely skipped the jarred baby food stage. And I didn’t miss it one bit!

And then you started to climb. You got into (and onto!) everything. Your sister wasn’t a climber. This must be a boy thing.

You soon learned the benefits of letting Mommy bake. Your first beater was such a treat for you! But it made Mommy sad. See, there are only two beaters. And now I have two children…

 

I must talk on the phone a lot. This is the very first thing you started mimicking. After that it was waving. Then clapping. And then you starting making the cutest little “ohhh!” face.

Let’s just take a minute to focus on how HUGE you’ve gotten. Scroll up. Look at the newborn. Come back. Wow. And this isn’t even the end of the year yet.

One of the greatest treasures of parenthood, as I hope you find out some day, is holding your very own sleeping baby in your arms. He is so peaceful, so trusting, so relaxed, that even though you know you should put him down so you can do dishes/laundry/dinner, you just can’t force yourself. And you end up napping with him on the couch.

You’ve gone on a lot of shopping trips with me this year. It’s been an adjustment bringing two children into the store with me (for example, there’s no longer any room in the cart for groceries), but it’s also been a lot more fun.

You’ve done some crazy things this year, Benjamin. One of which includes standing in a toilet. I know you’re just exploring your world around you, but the toilet? And I wish I could say this was the only time I caught you like this…

You handled your first train ride like a pro. I was surprised at your balance as you walked up and down, and then back up and down, and then back up and down the aisle AGAIN. You had to meet every person. Especially if they had food.

And when you were bad, we put you in the luggage rack. Which didn’t turn out to be as big a punishment as we’d hoped.

Here’s the “ooooh” face you made whenever you were particularly interested in something going on around you. In this case it was the trees flying past the window on your first train ride.

What a difference from your first Easter. For starters, you’re not wearing a tie. And then there’s the fact that you’re walking, collecting eggs, and putting them in the bucket.

You’ve grown up a lot in the past year. And while you still fit in my arms, you’re not content to stay there like you used to be. You’re more content standing on the edge of something tall and wobbly. And it’s going to take a lot for this attached mommy to let go as you continue to grow older.

Thank the Lord you’re only ONE. I’ve still got 17 more years until you leave my nest (Lord willing).

 

Happy Birthday, baby!