Happy Birthday, Henry!!

A whole year has come and gone since I gave birth to my little acorn. (My grandma calls him that because little acorns grow into big Oakes, right?)

It has been a wonderful, incredibly eventful year. We have certainly had our trials and tribulations, as every family with an infant has, but all in all it was a fantastic year.

When you have a new baby every day is special. There are always changes happening, and they do something new every time you turn around!

I think Henry is exceptionally bright, but I'm sure all mothers think that about their own children. :) He has reached all of the physical milestones early. He rolled over for the first time when he was just 12 days old! That was when we knew he'd be keeping us on our toes! Henry went on to sit alone at four months, pull himself to standing at five months, and crawled and cruised the furniture by six months! He's now walking on his own with a little encouragement, although he prefers to hold on to one of Mommy or Daddy's fingers for reassurance.

Today we went for a walk to the mall, and Henry walked for about 10 minutes, holding onto Mommy's hand, before he was ready to settle into his stroller for a ride. Such an independant little man! All of this activity is making him need two naps again, he had been having just one for several days. Mommy isn't ready to give up the second nap yet (my little bit of me time in my day!), so I'm glad Henry isn't ready to give it up yet either.

Looking back on the past year I remember it as one of the best ever. It's funny how the sleepless nights don't matter anymore. The fussy evenings pacing with our three month old seem like a very distant memory. What stands out are the smiles, the giggles, the new accomplishments, and lately, all of the hugs and kisses given freely without us even asking for them! Parenthood comes with its sacrifices and hard times, but the rewards are endless and priceless.

Thanks, Henry, for being the wonderful little man you are, and for enriching our lives more than you'll ever know. Here's to toddlerhood!

Happy Birthday.