The second first

Oh Noah,

You turned one-year-old over two months ago now, and I am just finally sitting down to write you this note.  It was a lovely day, with some decorations placed around the house that you immediately tore down and stuffed in your mouth, some good cuddles, and a trip to the park.  Your dad came home early for dinner and cake and we talked about you.  Your gift from us was a drum that you banged on with great pleasure for about five minutes and then returned to your preferred instrument: door slamming followed by mischievous cackling.

Admittedly, I was much more laid back about your first birthday than I was with Grace’s.  Technically, we had a party at our house this year that was for you and Grace on Grace’s birthday a couple weeks after yours, but you didn’t seem terribly concerned with your hosting duties and spent most of your time testing your guests’ reflexes by walking over to them, reaching up to be picked up and then swooping out of their arms head first toward some desired object on the floor.
For Grace’s first birthday, we had a party for friends and family at a kids’ art studio.    At the time, we lived in our condo and couldn’t figure out how to celebrate with our family in our small space, so we did something a little bigger.  While I am happy to have done it, I am even happier that I didn’t need to do it again this time.

Your birthday was perfect. You were pleased as punch having the four of us together to celebrate, and that, to me, seems to be exactly who you are, right now.  You are happiest when we are all together.  These moments in the day are few, since your dad has been tasked with making sure we can keep our house and eat food and thus has to go to work pretty regularly.  But he is usually around for breakfast and dinner and these times you are your most chill.  Often, your Dad gets up with you in the morning, brings you downstairs and you sit in his lap sharing a bowl of cereal with him while the coffee brews.  I know that you must feel content in these times because – believe you me – it is a rare moment in the day that you sit still without being strapped down.

When your dad comes homes for bedtime you want all four of us to stay in Grace’s bed indefinitely, climbing on each one of our laps and then attempting a headlong plunge off the edge just when you seem to be settling in, only to climb back on and demand more books, more tickles, more cuddles.  You are very, very clear about what you want and, as you have since the day you were born, you take great pleasure in making it known – immediately and with tremendous volume.

You are changing every day, with new words and moves that keep me on my toes.   Life with you is completely wonderfully and wondrously different, so full of fun, zesty, dancing, door-slamming goodness.  With you, we became a Family with a capital “F” – or, in romantic comedy terms, you complete us.   I love you, my sweet, amazing Noah.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/26916562″>Fierce Moves</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user1252571″>Amanda Zoloto</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>

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