365 Days Old!!

Dear Eli,

How amazing it is to me that you are one year old today! What a special little blessing you have been to our entire family! This wild year long ride across the country and back wouldn't have been the same without you with us!

(Photo by Susie Sincock)

What a life changing event it was to welcome you into our world on September 16th, 2007...born with a full knot in your umbilical cord the Doctor said it...you were a miracle! About 3 months before you were born your Dad and I decided on the name Eli James...we thought at some point we might call you "EJ," but instead you have turned into "E" (for some reason it really suits you).

You timed your arrival just right, apparently it was important to you that your Daddy be present...and he was...he arrived just a couple of days before you did! He spent the next couple of weeks getting to know you before he headed back to Antigua again!

Your first few weeks were awfully crazy. We rushed your birth certificate and your passport so we could be together with Daddy as soon as possible. You have travelled more, been on more modes of transportation, and seen more beaches than some adults have in their entire lifetimes...and you have taken it all in stride!!

You loved Antigua - at least I think you did! What's not to love...you had a comfortable place to sleep (on the bathroom floor in a port-a-bed), the sun was warm (you always were in the shade), and you were able to dig your toes in the sand almost every day!!

And let's not forget all the bonding you were finally able to do with your Daddy!! You still are a Daddy's boy...you get so very excited when he comes home from work, and you love spending one on one with him (wrestling!). Let me tell you a secret...the feelings are mutual! Daddy loves spending time with you as well!

You love life...you love to laugh and to be tickled. You adore your brothers...your eyes light up when they walk into the room! And if your lucky enough for them to play peek-a-boo with you - life couldn't be much better!

You love to play and to have someone play with you! Even though your eyes are brown like mine they are still bright...and your smile is absolutely contagious (especially since you are finally getting your top two teeth)! Today you even made a grumpy old man smile just by flashing your pearly whites at him!

Your personality is laid back, sweet, and funny! You are already starting to play games and are trying to figure out how to make others smile!

Messy should be your middle name! You tear off every bib that I put on (Grandma Shirley would love that); I think you feel more comfortable when you are dirty! I suppose most boys do, but you take things to the next level! Bathing a couple of times a day does remedy the issue slightly!

That blond hair of yours really differentiates you from your brothers! It is so soft and fine...and I can't get enough of the few little curls you have in the back. Neither Zach nor Seth arrived at one without at least one or two haircuts...we'll see how long you make it! At this point I can't part with the two or three curls you have!

The year has flown by - I'm not sure that I'm ready for you to be one, but ready or not, here you come! I am so thankful that the Lord blessed us with you; and even though I don't want you to grow up to fast, I can't wait to see what each passing year brings us!

Love you E!

Mommy

(cake eating pictures to come tomorrow)