It is what it is (or is it?)

My dearest Baby G,

That’s how long you’ve been outside of my body and in our family. You made H a big brother, you became a little brother, and you made your daddy and me happy beyond words. We longed for you way before we ever knew the path you’d take to joining our family.

You are such a joyful baby. You are rarely in an off mood, preferring instead to being curious and vocal and smiling. You are 27# and 31″ (how that is possible, I do not know) and have 4 teeth, with two more uppers on the way. You are a fast crawler and an adept climber. You can stand, unassisted, for a few seconds and if your little feet can carry you, I expect that you’ll be walking soon.

Your first word was ‘kitty’, owing to the life sized stuffed cheetah in your room that you love. You’ve said it twice, now, to both daddy and to a friend of ours and I try to coax you to say it so that I can hear it, too. Whenever you see kitty, your mouth opens into a broad smile and your eyes light up. I believe he is your first friend.

You mostly eat what we eat and I haven’t bought baby food for you in a couple of months. You have a wide ranging appetite and usually enjoy mini-pancakes and banana for breakfast, cheese, ham, and grapes for lunch, and dinner is whatever’s on the menu. You like yogurt and mandarin oranges and applesauce and goldfish and melts and Cheerios. When you awake from the nap you are taking right now, you’ll have your first bottle of whole milk. We’ll be glad to be done with formula.

You wear 24 month onesies and shirts, 18 month pants and got your first new 2T item, a jacket, for Christmas.

Even though you don’t like to hold your own bottle or sippy cup, you will tip an empty bowl or even tupperware container back pretend drinking in the air. Unless you are in the bath where you’ll attempt to drink full containers of bath water. You have always loved the bath and now enjoy splashing around, too. Your brother and you take baths together, but I’m not sure how much longer that will continue. I love seeing the two of you together in the tub.

You love your brother and are drawn to him in a special way. You like just being with or around him and are happy when he returns from a long day at school. And, he loves you and is so proud to be your big brother. My greatest wish is that you will be life long friends.

To my sweet natured, happy, lovable and loving little boy, there is no depth to my gratitude for having you. You completed our family and, in doing so, gave me a measure of contentment that I’d only dreamt would one day be mine. My mind and heart are quiet, now, having finally been allowed to rest from our decades long struggle to create our family. And, you, you my precious boy, cause my breath to catch with my deep and abiding love for you.

Happy, happy birthday. Please, stay small little one, just a while longer, stay small. You’ve come a long way from your first moments in this world: