Thirteen Months
Ah, my little Chunk. My Chunky Monkey. Sunny Boy. Bobby. Wayne. Today you turn thirteen months.
happy birthday cake. DELICIOUS.
You have grown from an easy, happy little baby to a strong willed, gregarious, talkative, sunny little dude.
You flew through your babyhood, my love, and I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive you for that.
You crawled at six months, putting your big round head down and just powering through, even though your limbs weren’t quite ready.
You walked at eight and a half months, and not just kinda walking. Walking, walking. You’ll know what I mean when you have kids. Crawling was just NOT cutting it… MUCH too slow for you.
Yesterday, you started running. Your chunky little legs aren’t even straight yet, they’re still bowlegged because you’re supposed to be a BABY, but there is too much for you to do, too many people to keep up with to crawl.
Which brings me to the relationship between you and your sister.
I never had a ‘close’ sibling… my older brother is five years older than I am (ANCIENT), and my younger brother is four years younger. My sister is seven years younger than I am. The relationship between you and Sally is something I have never experienced. You are so totally in love with each other, it’s awesome. If she is crying, you will waddle over to her and pat her. If you’re crying, she calls you ‘honey’ and tries to fix it. If her hair is in arms reach, you grab it. And instead of getting angry, she laughs. She is teaching you sign language, and often translates for you. You guys wrestle and play and laugh and laugh and laugh… its’ the most beautiful thing I’ve ever had the honor to witness.
With The Boy, who is thirteen YEARS old, it’s different, but exactly the same. You calm him; you make him laugh by trying to be like him; he can’t help but scoop you up in his arms and zerbert your round tummy. He ‘beats’ you up and you laugh and laugh… it’s so beautiful, and I am so thankful that you are here for him.
You are the best snuggler on the planet. I mean, seriously. You are delicious, and chunky, and you LOVE to snuggle. You’ll press your face into whatever part of me is nearest, and let out a contented sound. You have wrapped your arms around our necks and our hearts from the very beginning. Everyone loves you… we are followed in grocery stores by random strangers, and people just can’t help but try to touch you.
And the waving. Dear sweet lord, the WAVING. And you’re learning how to blow kisses… you may just kill us all with the sweetness.
You are also undeniably, completely and totally a BOY. I challenge anyone out there who questions whether or not boys and girls are different on a cellular level to come to my house and check you and your sister out. If you can reach it, you’re grabbing and smashing and checking out what noise it makes when you hit it with something else; you are brave and reckless, trying (I swear to god) to give me a heart attack by standing on top of anything you can stand on top OF, bouncing and giggling, testing the limits of every physical thing in your world.
I am not sure at this point if you are our last child, though if you were to ask me right now, I’d say you are. You are the salve to Sally’s spice, the calm to your brothers angst… you’ve given your dad someone to cuddle, and me… well, you’ve given me YOU. As a family, we unite around you, you are our heart and our soul. If we’re unhappy, just watching you BE makes us smile. Each and every one of us. I promise you that this will not become your job… it is simply who you are. You are our Sunny Boy.
I love you.
xo
Momma.