In a month, my little bitty newborn baby will be a year old.  I feel like he’s still just brand new.  Of course we have learned a lot, thanks to the advice and help of friends and family along with trial and error.  I marvel every day at how much he has changed from that little lump of sweetness we brought home from the hospital into this smart, brave, inquisitive little boy.  He has so much personality already, and he hasn’t even started talking yet.  Well, he thinks he’s talking but we haven’t figured out what he’s saying. 

I’ve gotten him to mimic me a few times, saying “mom,” only he shapes his little mouth in an “o” and it comes out more like “mohm.”  He’s also saying “moo” when we show him a little cow that makes the same sound.  I love every second of it.

But at the same time, I hate it.  It’s bittersweet.  I miss him being that tiny little lump that I could hold in my arms for hours and hours.  Now I know that you can’t spoil a baby.  I’m glad I didn’t listen to people that said you can hold a baby too much.  I held him as much as I could and I have no regrets.  He’s confident and secure (so far) and has never demonstrated separation anxiety.  He can put himself to sleep and play happily in his bed when he wakes up.

I can’t believe how lucky we’ve been over the past year.  He’s been such a good, easy baby.  I remember taking him to the mall when he was about 6 or 7 weeks old and I was in the elevator with him and an elderly man who asked how old he was.  When I told him, he grimaced and said that he had 6 children and would never go back to that age.  He must have had a bunch of lemons, because I think I’ve had more fun during the past 11 months than I have at any other time in my life.  Every day with Theo is something new. 

In (less than) a month, we will have a little party.  He won’t have a clue why everyone is gathering around to stare at him (okay, that’s actually pretty typical with our families) or cheering when he digs into his cake (hopefully).  It’s a celebration for all of us.  We’ve nearly made it through the first year of milestones.  We’ve gone from rookies to parents with a little bit of experience.  We’ve gone from two to three…from a couple to a family. 

I can’t wait to see what all the next year has in store for us.

~C~