Jack,
It is amazing to think that in ONE month you will be an entire year old. That is absolutely amazing to me. How can it be that 11 months ago from today I was holding you for the first time and completely falling in love with you. I can't believe that I lived my life without you for 24 years! You have changed me in so many ways that you will probably never see or understand. You have made me become completely less selfish as well as teaching me how to love someone unconditionally. There is something about the love that a mother and son have between them that no one can explain. You left yesterday and went to Charlottesville with Daddy for the entire day ( 8am-9pm) and i stayed home to make some $$$ babysitting and I really thought that I was missing my left arm all day. It's so hard to not have you with me ALL the time when I am so used to you always being there. I cried when you left in the morning and I waited at the door until you guys pulled up to the house when you got home. I had never been so happy to see Daddy's truck pull up in the driveway. Next week, I am going to the Outerbanks for a long weekend with your aunts and I'm a little nervous that I won't be able to be away from you that long. I know you will be having TONS of fun with Grandma and you probably won't even think about me once, but I am going to totally miss you every second of the day!
The things that you have accomplished this month are unbelievable and I don't even think I have enough room/time to mention EVERYTHING. You are totally INTO EVERYTHING! Now that you actively crawling, you want to explore every inch of our house. You have definitely got that crawl down to, you can probably crawl way faster than I can walk. Which isn't necessarily a good thing especially when you are going after things that you aren't supposed to have. You have become extremely obsessed with Abby. You pretty much think she is the coolest, funniest thing in the entire world. Thankfully, she has had A LOT of patience with you. You like to crawl all over her and grab her tail and her ears and she, very patiently, lets you do all these things with maybe letting out an aggravated groan or moan every once and awhile. Every morning when we come down for breakfast, the first thing you look at is Abby in her cage and start cracking up at her. Then I give you both about ten minutes to love on each other before anything else happens in the morning. She is definitely your best friend right now ( although I'm not quite sure that you are her best friend!).
I think that you have officially said your first word and although it is not "MAMA", it is "DADA". At first you just used to say dadadadada all the time but recently you actually know who "dada" is. When he comes home from work, you see him and squeal "dada". And whenever daddy is not home, you pick up the phone and go "dadadada" and we call him and he talks to you and you just repeatedly say "dadada" over and over again. You love your daddy. You have started to say "mama" but it's only when you are mad, upset, or hurt. Whenever that whiny cry starts, all you say over and over again now is "MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA" until I come and pick you up. And no one else will work when you are upset! You just keep screaming MAMAMAMAMA until I am the one who comes to get you. I guess that means that I am your comforter ( or I'm the pushover who picks you up whenever you get whiny) but whatever it means, I LOVE that you know who I am.
You are starting to cruise around all the furniture. You get yourself standing up and walk holding on to the sofa and you get so proud of yourself whenever you do it. It's amazing how much you are moving now and I know that probably within the next month, you will be walking all over the place.
Your birthday party invitations have been sent out, the planning is in process, and in one month you are going to be a YEAR old!! It is so true what they say about how quickly you kids grow up. How can it be that you are a year? It is absolutely mind boggling. I love you, I love you, I love you. I know you are growing up fast but always remember that I love you and I am your biggest fan!
Love,
Mommy
Mimi made him this shirt "I'm the Birthday Kid!"
