One Year

Dear Alex,

Sometimes I can't believe you're already a year old, but at the same time I can't seem to remember a time without you.  You have filled my life with a crazy mix of terror, panic, love, happiness, frustration, joy, pain, laughter, tears...I have never in my life felt as many emotions as I have in the last year.  It has been, without question, without qualification, THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE.

I didn't know what to expect from you. I didn't know who you were going to be. I suppose I still don't, but so far kid, I'm impressed.  You are active and curious. You are sweet and cuddly. You love to laugh and you're very social. You love to make new friends.  In fact, I can't take you anywhere these days without you chasing down all the girls.  Barely  a year old and you're already chasing tail.  That's my boy.

We're starting to see parts of us in you lately.  Not only do you look just like your daddy, you seem to have his temperment. You're a pretty mellow little dude. Don't get worked up too easily and you're a bit of a goofball.  However, occasionally I'll see you get frustrated and you'll clench both of your little fists so hard your whole body shakes and you growl "GGGRRRRR!"  Yea, that's all me baby.

You're walking now. It happened so fast.  One day you were trying to take one or two steps and the next week you were running laps around the house and chasing the cats like you've been walking your whole life. 

I've taken to calling you Alex the Destructor because it seems your sole purpose in life is to ruin anything that comes within your reach.  I leave you alone for 30 seconds with a magazine and I come back to find you sitting in a pile of paper shreds.  We're thinking of ditching our electric shredder and just having you take care of our sensitive paperwork.

You talk all the time, only, I can't understand what you're saying.  Other than the occasional "Mama" or "no no" it's just nonsensical jabber during every waking hour. I love this. You have the cutest little baby boy voice and I love to have it fill our house.

You seem to enjoy reading books these days. It used to be you'd just tear the pages out and eat them.  Now, you'll bring books over to have me read to you and you love to help turn the pages and point at all the pictures.  The other day I was letting you run around naked, you had a bit of a diaper rash and thought you could use a bit of air, you sat your nekkid little butt right in my lap and handed me your potty book to read to you. 

I could go on and on about all of your new developments and how brilliant I think you are, but you're changing every second, by the time I finish this, you'll have learned something new already.  What I really want to say to you is that I am incredibly proud of you.  I am so very proud to be your mother.  I look at you and I'm crazy in love.  Your daddy and I couldn't be happier to have you in our lives.  You are everything we had ever hoped for and so much more.  I love you sweet boy.  Happy Birthday.

Mama