‘To amaze: fill with astonishment; astound, take someone’s breath away…’

As we prepare to step into your second year of life and bid babyhood an official farewell, amazement provides the best description for my first year with you.  The first birthdays of all of your siblings have brought me to tears with how fast they passed, but yours seems to have gone faster than all the rest. I can vividly remember the details of your birth and ask myself, “Has it already been one year? So long and yet so brief!”

Your birth amazed me! Yours was our first home birth and because of that an aura of warmth and peace surrounds its memory. Each time we walk in our neighborhood I recall the labor walk to encourage contractions; the little patch of carpet in our room where you made your grand entrance floods my heart with joy and I don’t even mind that blood stain on the bed where I eased into it with you fresh in my arms. Such a journey of pain, power, and priceless life!

Your development amazes me! First it was your rapid growth – at 2 weeks old you were nearly the size of a 6-week old and at your 8-week wellness check the doctor could only shake her head in astonishment at how large you were. You rapidly outgrew every outfit we had and by the time you were 10-months you were wearing 18-month clothing. You crawled faster, pulled up faster and acquired teeth faster than everyone else in addition to growing so fast. Now it is your cognitive development that amazes me. The way you already drive cars with your thumb and forefinger like your big brother does and make the car sounds as you drive; the way you make eye contact, grunt, and attempt syllables to communicate with us; the deliberate way in which you participate in your siblings activities and look at books with them all indicate a very intelligent individual.

Your features amaze me! Your soft, wispy hair that can’t make up its mind about being dark or light brown begs to be caressed. The rolls on your arms and legs and the way your little toes grip the carpet when you stand up are irresistable on the cuteness scale. Your one-dimple smile and the way you cock your head to the side when you want to make me melt  work every time!

Your personality amazes me! The way you lay your head in my neck to snuggle when I pick you up make time pause for a breath. You can’t help but beat time with the music when your favorite songs are playing and you wave your arms when we say, “Hallelujah, He arose!” You are gentle and strong, determined and dependent. Somehow you manage to be a baby and a little boy all at once.

Your place in the family amazes me! It’s clear that at this young age you already adore your family. You have a unique relationship with each one of us, including the pets. You are fourth in the sibling ranks but that doesn’t lessen the importance of your role in our lives. Each of your siblings adores you and Poppa and Mama can’t get enough of your snuggles. Our family would be incomplete without your presence.

Happy birthday, my Son! God amazes me through you.