One year – Ezekiel has mastered running. He has really been working on fine motor skills after getting all his gross motor skills completed. He is a little daredevil. He climbs up slides and goes head first down them. He has all the cuts, scratches, and bruises to prove his adventurous self. He can stack towers of blocks. He can be entertained for quite some time stacking up towers, playing with his pop up toys, or looking at books. He now has six teeth. He loves eating with blueberries being his favorite food. He still nurses 800 million times a day and I don’t foresee that stopping anytime soon. I love you still man. Happy birthday.
It’s the quiet moments when it all hits. After the party, and the cake, and the presents, and the playing. When he sleeps. He doesn’t sleep much it feels like. Certainly not through the night. And one year has brought more sleep changes. But in the times when it’s quiet, I think about the amazing year of Ezekiel.
I think of how many new things you’ve learned; how you are becoming your own person. How you are independent and opinionated. How you are learning to communicate what you want with us. How you love a challenge. How you love adventure. How you love books- oh how exciting it is for me to watch my busy little man stop and look at books for the longest time. I love how friendly and social you are. You love to play with your friends at daycare. And oh how it warms my heart when you are excited to see me pick you up and you run over with your arms stretched out for me.
You have certainly been a wild ride. The adventure with you never stops. There are moments of tears and so many times filled with laughter and joy. You are such a happy guy. You love to smile. Your laugh is amazing. You love to copy us and make silly laughs. I wasn’t prepared for the life you would bring. But I certainly couldn’t have it any other way.
To my little baby – as you end your first year – I have loved to watch you grow and cuddle, comfort, and nurtious you every second along the way. I have spent countless hours awake with you when I was use to sleeping. I have spent numerous mornings exhausted. And I have loved seeing you master each new step and milestone – rolling over, smiling, sitting up, crawling, pulling up, standing, climbing, walking, running, clapping, waving, signing, stacking blocks. You have the best expressions as you have learned each thing and I watch the wheels turn in your mind as you learn.
To my new emerging toddler – I can’t watch to continue to see you grow into the little boy you are becoming. You will have more sleepless nights and tears and cuts. And you will have much more laughter, smiles, happiness, and joy.
This year was nothing like we could have anticipated. My social little guy got stuck at home with mom and dad while we tried to work. It was hard. But your smiles have brought me a lot of joy too. I am so lucky to be your mom.
Happy birthday Ezekiel.
