Love Letter

The first of April marks seven weeks since our baby turned one. His first birthday party was a Boss Baby theme complete with a balloon arch and black ties. He even wore his tie and vest for the occasion. I made homemade chocolate cake with an ultimate milkshake bar. However, with all the decorations and cake comes our birthday tradition.

I'm a writer, so I write my kids a letter on their birthdays. I don't share it with them; I put it with their baby books. It's a stack of love letters for each of them. Below is the letter I wrote for our sweet baby boy on his first birthday, February 12^th.

My Beloved Baby Kaiser,

On this day a year ago, your birth day, I waited for you to come. I imagined your sweet smell and your little hands and feet. I imagined your strong cry and squished pink face. I imagined the feel of your soft skin against mine. All that imagining was made a reality when you joined our family. In all your perfectness, my imagination could never have created something so great. In that moment, all the world couldn't have intruded on our blissful meeting.

Your brothers and sister saw you as something special made just for them. Your connection to them was cemented when we brought you home from the hospital. They took turns giving you Eskimo kisses and singing you songs. They kissed your head until it smelled like them. They brought you toys to play with and painted you the most beautiful pictures. You were patient with them and never uttered a sound of upset.

The first month of your life, we were at the doctor's office every week for weight checks. You were a linebacker born, but acid re-flux saw you more as a pianist. However, you never complained. You were content to look up at me with those magical blue eyes as if to say, “Mom, just feed me again.”

I'm so amazed by all that you have accomplished in just a year. Your sitting, crawling, walking, eating, and climbing are such intense feats. But your little details gave me so much more: your excited smile when you look at me; your hand holding mine; your wave for me to hold you; your bottom lip pout. As I'm writing this, I can hear your even breathing and your occasional sigh from your crib. I will hold onto those sounds forever. I will hold onto the feel of you in bed next to me when everyone else is asleep, and it's just the two of us. I will hold onto the feel of your drool in the crook of my arm when you use it as your pillow. I will hold onto the sweet sound of mama said for the first time. Those are your gifts made just for me.

I'm so grateful that God saw fit to make me your mother. You are an amazing child that gives me excitement for the future. I will be here to catch all of your smiles and tears and everything in between. Your family will always be there for you and love you unconditionally.

Happy Birthday My Darling Kai!

With all my Love,

Mom