Happy Birthday, Luca

To the sweetest boy on his 1st birthday,

My pregnancy seemed to last about five years, while the first year of your life seemed to last about five minutes.  I have spent the last week with all sorts of nostalgia and thoughts about life before and after you.  I can hardly believe you are now considered a toddler.

You weigh 21 pounds and you are 29 inches tall.  You are the busiest little person I know.  You took off and walked across the room the day before your birthday.  You actually sort of skipped walking and  ran/galloped before catching yourself.  You think anything will catch you and you will often just fall into your sisters, hoping they got the memo.  I think you'll be walking within the next week and I know we are in big trouble!

We have had a maaaajor sleep regression problem in the last month or more.  One visit to the chiropractor made the waking up bearable (compared to the 30 minutes of sleep at a time before that), but you are still a horrible sleeper.  I think there is something upsetting your tummy (I believe it's dairy) but we haven't gotten anything official regarding that.

You have seven teeth, and are working on number 8 (fourth one on the bottom) - maybe that will be another answer for the sleeping problem.

I have loved watching you learn so much this year, but this month, you just seem like a little boy.  You know what to do with cars and you love to drive them all over the floor.  You know when things are upside down (your cups), and recently, you crawled right over to the cabinet with a piece of trash in your hand, and you threw it in the trash!  You also love to pick up socks and hats, and attempt to put them on your body where they belong.  You learned how to drink from a straw this month which has been just as amusing for us at has been for you.

You came to Seattle with me and daddy this month, and you were such a good boy.  It was hilarious to push you in the stroller because you are a magnet for attention.  You wave and smile and charm the pants off of everyone that you see.  You are social until someone makes a big deal out of it, and then you try your best to bury your face in something nearby.

You do well at signing and you have added Da-da and "all done" to your word list this month (still waiting on mama...you know, the one who feeds you and wakes up with you and makes sure you are happy at all times...yes, that one).  You have something that you yell when you are looking for Ruby and Eisley but it's nothing I could repeat and it certainly doesn't quite sound like their names just yet.

This year has been such a blessing - sometimes, I still can't believe I get to be mama to such a beautiful baby boy!  I am honored to watch you learn and grow.

I love you so much, sweet boy!!

XOXO,
Mama

PS - you only eat icing and cake makes you gag, so I'm not entirely sure you're my child.   You are also about the daintiest cake smasher I have ever seen.