But I have a difficult time writing heartfelt, sincere letters. They always sound so terribly contrived.
But it was important to me that Ben have a letter from his parents on his first birthday.
It's not perfect but will have to do:
Dear Benjamin:
Happy 1st birthday, darling boy!
We cannot believe that it has been an entire year since you made your grand entrance into our family. How the time has flown by. It seemed like just yesterday that you were a tiny, wee babe cradled in our arms.
This has been, without a doubt, an exhilarating, exhausting, and above all, wondrous year. The joy you have brought to our family is simply indescribable. We love having you in our lives.
Benjamin, you are such a happy, exuberant child. You are always smiling. People constantly stop me in the store, at the dentist's office, in the park, to tell me how charming you are. You have a cheeky, sunny personality and are happy to share your good mood with those around you. It is simply infectious. You are neither shy nor hesitant and have shown none of the traditional attachment issues that are common at this age. Given that both your parents can be on the quiet and somewhat reserved side, we are continually amazed by your outgoing nature. You can charm the socks off the grumpiest of old men, particularly if there is a chance of you obtaining food from your new best friend. You are a mooch. But in a charmingly sweet way.
You have a bit of a stubborn streak, that you undoubtedly inherited from both your parents. You are very clear that you seriously disapprove of certain activities, including, but not limited to, changing your diaper, brushing your teeth, and clipping your toenails. You usually submit to these activities exceedingly begrudgingly. Patience, not surprisingly, is not your strongest suit.
You are a bit of an adventurer. One of your most satisfying tricks is prying open your bedroom door so you can go explore the hallway and upstairs rooms. The bathroom is currently your favorite, as you adore throwing things in the toilet. Investing in commode locks was our best purchase to date. One of your other favorite upstairs activities is to "go on safari", which consists of me crawling down the hallway with you scampering along in my wake, like a happy, awkward puppy. You adore this, probably because the big adults are so rarely on your level. In the event that I lay down on the floor, you've perfected a kamikaze pig pile leap that usually leaves you laughing uncontrollably and me gasping for breath.
You have a bit of a stubborn streak, that you undoubtedly inherited from both your parents. You are very clear that you seriously disapprove of certain activities, including, but not limited to, changing your diaper, brushing your teeth, and clipping your toenails. You usually submit to these activities exceedingly begrudgingly. Patience, not surprisingly, is not your strongest suit.
You are a bit of an adventurer. One of your most satisfying tricks is prying open your bedroom door so you can go explore the hallway and upstairs rooms. The bathroom is currently your favorite, as you adore throwing things in the toilet. Investing in commode locks was our best purchase to date. One of your other favorite upstairs activities is to "go on safari", which consists of me crawling down the hallway with you scampering along in my wake, like a happy, awkward puppy. You adore this, probably because the big adults are so rarely on your level. In the event that I lay down on the floor, you've perfected a kamikaze pig pile leap that usually leaves you laughing uncontrollably and me gasping for breath.
Ben, you are a wiggle worm - crawling, climbing, and clapping. You enjoy having an audience and check in frequently to make sure we're paying attention to your latest stunt, be it pulling the dog's tail or summiting the stairs. A hearty round of applause is definitely appreciated and elicits lots of smiles and gleeful giggles. But sometimes, when you're especially tired, you'll trundle over and cuddle up close. You burrow into our arms and hug us tight. Those are my most favorite moments and the ones I'll remember forever.
You are a joy to have in our family and we adore being your parents.
We love you so much.
xxoo,
Mama and Papa
