Happy First Birthday!

As Charlie would say, “Holy Guac” Baby Boy! We cannot believe you are one already. You had a nice birthday yesterday. You woke up to us singing to you, and you clapped and clapped after we were finished and gave us all kisses. Your kisses are too funny. You open your mouth and head straight for our faces—slobbering on us, but we love it. Charlie laughs and laughs when you kiss him, so you just keep doing it.

On Sunday we are having a bit birthday bash for you at the house. I hope you have fun and are not scared of all of the people. We will post pictures later. I have enlisted Atha as the photographer. If she wasn’t so good at it, I would not ask her all the time. Ha! It will be a fun day with lots of good food and lots of people who love and adore you.

I thought a lot yesterday about the day you were born and what a wonderful—and scary—day it was. You were born at 2:35 p.m. and weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and were 20.5 inches long. And you came out “blue.” Thank goodness for the amazing NICU team who resuscitated you so quickly. On Monday we will find out your height and weight now. I cannot wait!

You bring so much joy to our lives with your sweet smile, your silly laugh and your constant chatter. You move all over the place but are not quite confident to take those first unaided steps…even though I know you could do it. You love it when we play “Mommy’s gonna get you” and you crawl as fast as you can away from me and squeal the whole time. You also love to be outside but do not like the way the ground or grass feels on your knees, so you walk on your hands and feet, which is quite comical. Ms. Teresa says that you love to go out to the courtyard at school with the big kids and play.

You are eating like a pro, and you have liked most everything we have given you. Your most favorite thing is berries, especially raspberries and blackberries. Last night for your birthday dinner you had fish, berries, pasta and sweet potatoes. Charlie said the prayer and he prayed that you would have a good birthday and then he prayed that he would have a good birthday…in January. I hope he, too, survives your party on Sunday. Charlie, you are certainly accustomed to being the center of attention.

Daddy and I cannot wait for the upcoming weeks when you start walking on your own and start using words other than Mama, Dada, Nye Nye, hi and Ba Ba. The other new thing you are doing is brushing your six teeth. You open your mouth really big and say “ahhhh.” It is too funny. You are definitely in the stage of mimicking things you see us do.

Happy first birthday, Sweet Ryan. Thank you for being so wonderful. Daddy, Charlie and I love you too, too much!

Mommy