Happy First Birthday Logan!
This is such a special day. It's the day we remember when you made your arrival into the world & joined our family. It's a major celebration! Your first birthday is extra special because we also reflect on what your first year of life has been like & how our life has changed.

It has been an amazing year, that's for sure. The day you were born was the most incredible day for us. While you were making your way out, I was laughing & joking around with the nurses. You were born & I couldn't stop smiling, saying "You're finally here! I can't believe it!" Seeing you for the first time will forever be etched into my memory.

The first months were fascinating, watching you grow & learn so quickly. Your new found smile melted my heart. I laughed when you figured out how to crunch out of your swaddle...little strong man! Seeing you roll around, looking at the world was so much fun. My favorite memories of your early months were the three of us cuddled up in the bed in the morning. With you kicking & waving your arms, making cute little noises & us just laughing & playing with you.

As you got older & it was warmer outside, we enjoyed family adventures around town. We went to the zoo & the aquarium, where you had so much fun watching the animals. We hiked some beautiful trails with you in the Bjorn & back pack. That was a lot of fun taking you outdoors. We went on family vacations & we moved to our new town across the state. Through all of these new experiences, you were such a trooper. You enjoyed the fun times & stayed pretty calm during the hard times. I was so proud of you.

The last months of your first year have been a blast. You are a perfect sleeper, always easy to get down for a nap & bed time is not really a challenge at all. We think you like to sleep as much as us. Which is a lot. Meal times are so much fun too. You love almost everything & try to sneak food to Buddha whenever I turn my head. You let me brush your teeth without complaints & do a great job by yourself already! You really are an easy baby. I am such a lucky Mom.

You are so, so cute. From day one, we always talked about how our boy was the cutest baby out there. Of course, we're biased, but it's true. Everyone we meet just adores you. From your smile & your secret "baby language" that you often whisper, to your excitement about everything you do.

You are incredibly sweet. You are so happy when we get you get of your crib when you wake up. It's so fun how you raise your arms for us to pick you up. Throughout the day as you are busily playing, you often stop to run over & give me a hug & a baby kiss, which is an open mouth on my knee. When Dad comes home from work, you are so happy, running up to him with your arms stretched out so he can scoop you up to give you a hug. It's the best feeling in the world when you want to cuddle with us. It's a morning routine to cuddle on the couch together watching your favorite morning cartoons. You are a very loving baby.

You are very smart. You learned how to call Kitty & Buddha over at a very young age. You were just a few months old! Your Dad & I were amazed that you knew how to do this. You love to read books, even by yourself. You figured out how to play with all of your toys, puzzles too. We think you're a little genius.

You are like a little tornado of energy & very strong. You've always been like that, even before you were born. I used to joke about how you were my little Olympic soccer player or martial artist, doing karate kicks on my ribs. I also used to kid that it must have been the creatine protein shakes that I drank before knowing you were gong to be a part of our family. Since your birth, you've learned how to crunch, roll down a flight of stairs, crawl at lightning speed & walked very early. You run more than walk now. You actually run around in circles. All day long. It's very entertaining.

Speaking of entertaining, you are a funny little guy, always making us laugh. You "sing" as loud as you can when you're in your car seat. You also try to scream louder than the vacuum cleaner & chase after me while I'm cleaning the carpets. You love to tease Buddha by playing peek-a-boo with him, trying to get him to howl his special peek-a-boo bark. You know what makes me laugh to the point of tears & you do it over & over & over to keep me in stitches. Our days are filled with smiles, giggles & big belly laughs.

As you can see, you've learned so much in your twelve months of life so far. But, what's amazing is what you've taught us. Your parents have learned some very important things about life since your arrival & making us a family. You've taught us about patience & that sometimes Moms need time-outs too. Having a clean house isn't as much of a priority compared to singing songs & reading books. If Dad's working late, it's OK to stay up past your bedtime so he can kiss you goodnight. You've taught us that having a big expensive house & the material things that life has to offer are nothing in comparison to spending quality time as a family. Really, you've helped us learn what being a family is all about. It's all about love.

We've given up many things to have the special family that we have. We don't regret a single sacrifice that we've made. The love we all share is so much more valuable. I never knew that I would have the opportunity to love so much. My love for you is beyond words. I will never be able to explain how much you mean to me. It's impossible. I never knew that I would love your Dad more now than I ever did, either. While we may not be the richest family in terms of money, we are certainly a very wealthy family in terms of love & happiness.

Happy birthday Little Man! The next year is going to be fun & exciting. I can't wait to see what toddlerhood has in store for you.

With all of the love in the Universe for you,
Mom

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