PRESTON is ONE

Dear Preston,

When I laid you down last night for bed, I wept openly. Your daddy held my hand and we both looked over your crib to watch you sleep. Your tear-stained hair was pretty cute. It is incredibly surreal that I am writing you a letter for your first birthday. Time is so interesting because it felt so slow as I waited those three years to become a mom. It felt like time was inching by, barely moving. Then, when I was pregnant with your big brothers Nolan and Judah, time was also just as slow. During all my worrying and anxiety that had to have been the longest pregnancy in the history of all the world. And now here we are, my baby bear, about to celebrate you having been outside in the world for one whole year. How did this happen?! How?!

 I have to backtrack a little to let you know that I was absolutely certain you were going to be a boy. You can ask anyone. I feel very much like having all boys, having all Taurus boys, was something I was put on this earth to do. When you came out and Daddy yelled, “it’s a boy!” I don’t even think I was phased. I knew you would steal all of our hearts. Some people really worry about having enough love to go around and feeling very nervous about how siblings will react and how the family dynamic will adjust, but not me… not your Mama. I knew there was more than enough room in my heart for you. I also knew there’d be more than enough room for you in our family and I, thankfully, was right. You were the perfect final addition to us.

Let me tell you a little about your first year…

Preston Huron, your middle name is perfect for you. There is something very special between you and the water. You LOVE it. I mean L.O.V.E. it. You love splashing in the water, kicking in the water, crawling in the water and have always loved it. You even took dipping your toes into Lake Huron much better than any of your brothers. You were able to go swimming at a much younger age than your brothers- we were visiting Toronto in October when you were only five months old. Your smile being in that pool lit up that room. I can’t wait to keep playing in the water with you.

I also think your middle name connects to our love for adventure and travel. In just your twelve months of life you have been to Saugatuck, Petoskey, South Haven, Grand Rapids, Holland, Detroit, Frankenmuth, and Ann Arbor in Michigan. You’ve also been to Toronto, Port Franks, Grand Bend, Hamilton, London, Goderich, and Bayfield in Ontario, Canada. We’ve driven to Florida twice as we’ve went to Disney World and also St. Augustine, which has allowed you to pass through the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia (with a stop in the city of Savannah), Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. You are the most adaptable and flexible little traveler. You’ve handled being nursed in the front seat, being changed in the trunk, and sleeping in bedrooms, hotel rooms, and closets.

You LOVE your brothers and they love you just as much if not more. Since day one, they are the people you want to pay attention to most. They are the ones that bring out your biggest smile and your most boisterous laugh. They’ve been so kind to you and you’ve been so kind to them. I pray and hope that continues throughout the rest of your life. You all are really lucky to have each other.

Being the baby of the family, I’ve wanted time to stand still and you’ve wanted time to speed through. You have been winning that, by the way. You rolled quickly, you crawled quickly, and you especially walked quickly. I didn’t even have any good shoes for you to wear because you walked so much earlier than your brothers- almost two months earlier! You want to be big, that’s clear, and I want you to stay small. This is probably going to keep being a thread of tension for us, but we will work through it.

Besides the things mentioned above, here are some other things you love: putting literally EVERYTHING in your mouth. It is really hard to be productive when you are on the loose- we have to watch you and your fingers constantly. You’ve been caught trying to shove rocks, acorns, Prim’s cat hair, pine cones, grass, flowers, sand, seashells, and countless plastic things in your mouth. You also love dancing, waving, clapping, things that make noise, playing peak-a-boo, reading, stroller rides, slides, swings, and grabbing necklaces, earrings, ties, and hair. You are also obsessed with food- any food will do. I've never seen you get full or stop or slow down your eating. 

Lastly what I want to mention is what a happy, pleasant baby you’ve been to us. I didn’t know what four kids would be like and you’ve made everything easier just by being you. The middle of the night feedings when you were tiny were great because of the extra time. Putting you down for a nap is wonderful because of how easily you lay your head on our shoulders and snuggle. The joy you have inside of you radiates all over our house- you smile, you laugh, you play, we are just so glad that you are so glad.

We are so happy you are ours and have completed our family.

Happy 1^st Birthday!

I love you so much, Little Noogie,

Mama