On your first birthday

Here is my letter to Elyas, on his first birthday.

Dear Elyas,

I can't believe a year has gone by already. It's amazing how fast time flies. You will see. People always say it goes so quickly, and they are speaking from experience. When you are a child time seems to stretch out before you, and the months between birthdays seem an eternity. Savor those days, son, for they pass with gaining momentum as you grow older.

A year ago on this day, you came into the world. Your birth delighted me with how easy it was, and how healthy you were. You were a great eater from day one. I cannot explain how overjoyed I was to finally meet you, my little boy, my son. You have brought me great joy from the moment you took your first breath, and even before. You continue to amaze me.

This has been an incredibly dense year for you. You had a bit of a rough start, being hospitalized twice in your first month after catching a nasty virus called RSV, that made it hard for you to breathe. I was scared for you, but never doubted your strength. We have dubbed you Mr. Bonk; you bonk your head more than any child I have ever known. You even had an accident in a shopping cart in October, and you hit your head on a curb. You likely had a skull fracture, though we never had x-rays done to confirm it because we didn't want to radiate your little brain. Since October, and with gaining mobility, you have managed to bonk your head nearly daily. It's not a talent you should feel the need to keep, son. You may outgrow it now.

You are quite the determined little man. I was certain you'd walk before you crawled - you were trying so hard from such a young age. I was wrong, though. You crawled just before your first Thanksgiving, and took your first unassisted steps two days before Christmas. Somehow you found within yourself a bit of caution and you didn't take to walking until about mid January. Or perhaps it was not so much caution, as you were in Hawaii for the first two weeks of January, but you waited to come home and learn to walk where your Baba could see you.

I'd always heard that the second child talks less and later... especially one who has such a talkative older sister. Not you, my boy. You have lots to say. Your first word, besides names for the people in your family, was "tree". It happened to be Christmas time, so there were trees around (trees with tasty ornaments on them, or so you thought. You didn't understand why we wouldn't let you sample this snack bar). As an encore you attempted to tackle "nutcracker". My brilliant little boy! It came out something like "cruh-crah-cruh". Very cute, to say the least. By your first birthday, you have gained over 75 words! You amaze me.

Elyas, I'm so glad you joined our family. You are just the sweetest little guy. Now that you walk about on your own, you love to come over and dive on to a lap for loves. You give spontaneous hugs and kisses. You are a joy and a true blessing to have. I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

Love,
Mama

and here he is, on his birthminute: