My dear, wonderful , adorable birthday boy

I'm worried you'll someday read this blog and wonder about the drop in posts in the last few months. You may feel disappointed in the lack of equal coverage for you and your first year. You'd be right. Your mom hasn't been keeping things fair online. I've been pretty overwhelmed with all the changes in our life since we've moved and I've struggled to keep up with things like this blog. And personal correspondence, and personal grooming... Sigh... I ramble...

Anyway.

Know this - my neglect of you has only been limited to this blog. At home, I'm deeply devoted -- in la la love, really -- with you.

You're so wonderfully happy, Henry. An amazingly perfect baby. You're incredibly kissable. I come home from work and can't keep my lips off your cheeks - so perfectly soft and round. You'll lift your arms and grunt UP UP UP and I dive into to full kiss mode. Or I'll cover you with raspberries instead, which instantly sends you up into the best fit of giggles.

You're developing personality traits that make your dad and I smile a mile wide. You eat like a 20 year-old, you're incredibly physically strong, ridiculously independent (At the park last week you wandered away from me and out of curiosity I let you go a while. I wanted to see how far you'd go without looking back. You ended up hightailing it 70 yards to the parking lot!) and you love love love puppies.

You have a few words: up, dada, Aud-de, wa wa, hi, bye, plane, birdie, all done, and mama (although sadly for me you throw it around at everything.) You love to dance (bouncing up and down with one arm in the air is your signature move) and you're a fearless flirt with new people - you cast your chin down and smile up at them and they're yours.

You get called handsome a lot. It's an interesting compliment for a baby, but people consistently say it. You're a big boy, which I suspect is part of it (you've never for one minute been a squishy little tiny "cute" baby) but with your pale skin, your sort of a blue/brown hazel eyes, and your hair being so dark, you just come across so grown up and so... handsome. The best part of this? Your big sister will occasionally refer to you as her "handsome man" which just makes my heart burst.

This brings me to my next point. When I feel guilty about the time I don't get to spend with you, or I doubt the balance of time I give to both you and your sister, I comfort myself with this:

Oh man, do you love your big sis. Whatever I'm worried about depriving you, I'm seeing it more than made up for in sibling wrestling, tea parties, ball kicking, and just general giggling. It's so gratifying.

You're barely a baby anymore, my sweet boy. You walk, run, and just a few weeks ago you passed your sister in weight, which I think qualifies you for official toddler status. I'm holding on to your last days of babyhood as long as I can but honestly I can't wait to see who you're going to become, too. I can tell there are going to be great stories in that big boy future of yours.

All my love,
Mama

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