Yup! That’s you! And congrats, you are now one year old! This is the fastest year of my life and at Christmas time I constantly found myself reflecting on how grateful I was for you. You see, the previous Christmas you were not here. You were still growing in my belly, but were not present. And this year, we were all amazed. In awe. Just astounded at what a difference a year can make. The truth is we were all walking around incomplete. Our whole lives, every single one of us, was simply not the way it was supposed to be. Something was missing. This Christmas we all realized that it was you. I truly could not be more overjoyed than I was this Christmas in the constant moments that I reflected on your presence. Not here, and then here. Magic. Maybe it was all the waiting we were doing right before Christmas the year before, but this year was simply so very special.
So, what is it that we love about you, you ask? Literally everything. Every. Single. Thing. You are a very serious baby. This makes the times that you do smile and laugh just precious. I truly wish I could bottle it up. It lights up anyone and everyone that is around you.
Your siblings are obsessed with you. Often, I will hear them in the back of the car fighting over who can hold your hand next. Arguing that one is not doing it correctly. Your August will stare and pet your head. She has desperately attempted to teach you puppy tricks. Sit. Stay. Shake. She just wants to smush you into her body, fold you into her arms and make you hers. Your brother is no different. Only, unlike your sissy he longs to keep you tiny. He loves helping you and watching you grow, but is also torn that you will no longer sit in his lap without squirming. That you are growing too big for his tiny arms to carry you around with. That you are more interested in crawling than him holding you whilst staring deep into your eyes. When we pick him up from school and you are with me, you somehow know that we have arrived. The instant I open the car door to get you, you begin wriggling in sheer joy and excitement. As we walk up you are wild in all of your attempts to be freed from my arms and released to your unseen brother. When you finally catch a glimpse of him walking to the gate you begin throwing your body towards him. He must then hold you while I carry his backpack. He can’t quite make it all the way to the car with you, but he sure does try.
When your daddy gets home, the scene is quite similar. Watching you with him, has sparked a joy in me that I did not know existed. You love him so much, and he you. You are the only baby that we have had that truly always wants your daddy. It doesn’t matter who you are with, including me, daddy wins. As he walks in the door, he will not even take off his shoes, or put his bag down. He holds his arms out and shouts, “Where’s my baby?” You beam with delight.
Harper, what can I say other than you are undoubtedly a gift from heaven. From the angels and God himself. When you were a tiny baby you would smile and stare at the ceiling and we would joke that you were smiling at the angels. Occasionally at one year old you will still do this gypsy trick, but will now throw in a wave.
Although you must grow, we would love to freeze time and keep you as perfect as you are. All of us, from your sister and brother to your father and me, feel this way. You have no idea what a gift you are, by just being you. Thank you.
You will be beyond blessed by the overabundance of love that you will receive from your family, but we feel the same way about the love you bring to us. Happy first birthday, we can not wait to see what life has to hold for you.
All the love that could possibly be in our hearts,
Your Family (but mostly Mamma)
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