Happy Birthday

Dear Caden,
A year ago you were but a few hours old and your Daddy and I were still in awe that we created something so absolutely perfect and so amazingly beautiful. A whole year has passed since I first held you, since I first looked into your beautiful eyes, since I first counted those 10 perfect fingers and 10 perfect toes... yet it all feels like yesterday.

This past year has most definitely been the best of my life so far - we've done so much together, learned so much about you, and learned so much about ourselves.

In just 3 months since I last wrote to you, so much has changed. You took your first steps at a little over 9 months old and started walking a few weeks later. We went on our first family vacation and you flew on an airplane for the first time, we celebrated our first Christmas together, and we rang in the new year.
You spoke your first word - "What?!" and you also learned to say Juice, done, and your favorite - Good! We got a puppy.. sometimes you have so much fun playing with her but others she is still a bit too rough for you.

As you'll learn, one year really isn't very long in the grand scheme of things, but in just this one short year you've already accomplished so much. We've watched and celebrated as you hit every milestone - rolling over, sitting up, standing, walking, your first teeth, your first everything.
In just your first year you've already flown on an airplane, visited 2 other countries, swam in the ocean, and you've taught me so much and through you I've learned so much about myself. You are such an amazing little man and words could never properly describe just how much you mean to me.

The years will pass and you will grow - one day you will look back at all the pictures taken this past year. You won't remember any of this and the chubby, bright eyed baby smiling back in photographs will be a stranger to you. But I will carry these memories with me for the rest of my life.
This past year has been amazing and so wonderful. Every day I am so thankful that you came into my life and I am so grateful I get to wake up to your smiling face every day, and stroke your perfectly chubby cheek as you sleep every night. And I am so looking forward to the next year and all the years to come. I'm excited to see what they bring and what life has in store for all of us.

Happy birthday my sweet boy. I love you always.

Mommy