Dear Joshua,
I think I say this every time one of my children has a birthday, but has a whole year really gone by already? It doesn't seem like all that long ago when we were anticipating your arrival!
Your birth was an amazing experience, by far the easiest of my three. My recovery from giving birth to you was also easier than it was the previous times--which I was especially thankful for since I only had Grandma around for a week!
As with your older siblings, your unique personality was evident to me while you were yet in my womb and you proved true to it in the days and months following your birth. You aren't quite as busy as Katie was, but at the same time, you're not nearly as laid back as Benjamin. Adjusting to life as a mother of three was (and still is!) quite challenging, but I feel like I'm getting into the swing of things--and I certainly wouldn't change it for anything in the world!
For the first six or so weeks of your life, I could not do anything to get you to sleep off of my body. Until you were born, I had the false notion that babies were only ever like that because they were spoiled. Indeed not, since you were like that your first day of life on the outside! Babywearing became my friend, and you eventually adjusted to life in the outside world--though you do still love to snuggle with your mama (during the day and at all hours of the night).
You crawled at around 7 months, started taking steps around 10 months, and became a proficient walker at 11 months. You got your first tooth when you were 7 months. You already have 8 teeth, and appear to be working on your first molar. You've been a busy boy, eager to keep up with Katie and Benjamin. You enjoy being in the middle of whatever they're doing, which sometimes gets you into trouble! Thankfully, Katie and Benjamin are {usually} really sweet with you. Benjamin really didn't ever learn how to be gentle, but you survived and I'm sure you're a lot tougher for it!
You started eating solids just before 9 months, after a long bout of yeast caused us to delay them (you were the first of my children to take a prescription medicine...I just couldn't get the yeast to go away!). Aside from avocado (which you loved at first!), you love pretty much everything you eat. You're my best vegetable-eater so far, and I hope you keep it up! Seeing my baby love veggies is good for my real-food mama's heart. You *love* to eat, and have a big appetite--which isn't surprising since you're nearly 25 pounds!
You have an unusually deep voice for a baby, and your vocabulary consists of: mama, dada, bye ("bah"), night-night ("nigh-nigh"), and various sounds that clearly have strong meaning.
It has been so wonderful to watch you grow and learn over the past year, Joshua. I am so very blessed to be your mama and so, so thankful that our gracious Lord saw fit to add you to our family. My prayer for you on your first birthday is that you will love the Lord with all your heart and serve Him with all your days. May you grow up into a godly man fit to lead a wife and raise another generation faithfully.
I love you, my sweet, sweet boy. Happy birthday!
Love,
Mama
