Happy Birthday Little Man Linc!

How is it possible that we are already celebrating your first birthday, Lincoln? The days, weeks, and months have simply flown by. When I look at you these days I marvel how you have grown from this:


to this:
I want to always remember the wonder of this first year with you, and yet the harder I try and hold on to the sweet, precious memories, the more they seem to slip like grains of sand from my tightly clenched hand. I often find myself thinking, "Don't grow up, Linc! Stay this small, adorable, cuddly, mischievous, light-of-my-life beautiful boy who nestles into my neck and plays with my hair and gives me sloppy kisses. Please always be my little one!"

You are such a beloved baby, who brings sheer joy to our lives daily. And to the lives of others. Not a day goes by that I don't find you making people smile, anyone whose eye you catch. You are such a flirt! Countless strangers have called you a little prince, and they just beam at your friendliness and return your tender wave.

You are so incredibly sweet, it is hard to hold a grudge against you even when you fling dinner across the room or bite your sister. Or bite the cat. Or bite me. Yes, you are a biter, and we need to fix that sooner rather than later, lest Greta and Jinx start biting you back. But that's a different blog post. This is dedicated to celebrating you on the anniversary of your remarkable entrance into this world. So let's talk about you...

In addition to your oft-commented-upon sweetness, you are quite the athlete. You haven't taken unassisted steps yet, but cruise around the furniture, practically run when I hold your hands, and crawl with record speed. You have mastered climbing up stairs and are working very hard on conquering how to slide down on your tummy. You love to play with balls, which pleases daddy immensely. Whether you are smacking them with a plastic golf club, rolling them with great accuracy to my outstretched arms, kicking them across the floor, or dunking them through your basketball net, each action is accompanied with serious eyes and a playful smile. You got game, kid, for sure.

You love things that go, especially trucks and planes. You will crawl around the house pushing a car with one hand for minutes on end. You are a great eater, although you become militant if you have to wait for the next mouthful. Frozen peas are one of your favorite snacks. You are finally beginning to like books and you enjoy being read to (previously you thought they were a means of adding fiber to your diet). Your vocabulary is impressive, and you like to jabber with your sister, who seems to enjoy her conversations with you. You are fascinated by Greta, watching her every move and mimicking many of them, like jumping on the bed. You even sing along with her in the car! You love music and are quite the dancer. And after months of frustrating sleep habits, we've finally gotten into a good groove at night and you are also an excellent napper. Hooray! As much as I want to hold these moments fast, I know that even more incredible days are ahead of us.

Lincoln David, you are one of the best blessings I've ever received and every day I thank God for you. Happy Birthday to you!