Growing

My baby is eleven months old today. Just one more month until his first birthday.

Where did this past year go? So much has happened. The birth, the holidays, the move, the settling in. It doesn't feel like eleven months have gone by since that whirlwind time in our lives.

And this baby boy of mine! Oh my. All of the sudden, almost overnight, he's hardly a baby at all. Instead he is standing right on the verge of toddlerhood, just waiting to take that first uncertain step over the threshold.

He's a cuddly little sweetheart (with his mama, anyway). He plays peek-a-boo, hiding his eyes behind his fists and ducking his head while grinning. He loves to imitate silly sounds, like blowing raspberries, patting his mouth as he says "ahhhh", or making car noises. He can say "hi" and "bye" while waving, and this sweet little boy says "mama" and "dada" too. It makes me melt every time.

Oh boy, is this one a climber! Fast, too. I think we'll have an interesting time as he gets bigger and more physically able. The general consensus from those who know him is that he won't so much start walking as go straight to running - mostly to chase after his older brother, I'm sure.

I just love this age as their personalities start to shine through. It is so fascinating to watch as they develop self-awareness, becoming their own little person with preferences and desires. And isn't that the whole purpose of parenting, to guide these little ones as they discover who they are, who God created them to be? Loving not an image of who we want them to be, but rather loving the reality of the unique person they are.

I am so blessed to know this little sweetheart, and so privileged to be charged with guiding him towards maturity.

I love you, darling.