One Year Old

Dear Hudson,

Today you turned one-year-old, and I can't even begin to explain what it has meant to me to watch you transform from a snuggly little baby to a sweet, yet rough-and-tumble boy. You have such a personality! Each month, I learn another surprise about you. Prisms of personality just light up inside of you, tickling me with yet another revelation, another facet of Hudson.

There's your inner sweetness. As a baby, you were so laid-back and lovable. That hasn't changed. There's nothing like one of your mega-watt grins. You pat people, sneak shy kisses when they're least expected, and bury your face into my neck when you most need comfort. If your sister is crying, you usually first try to make her laugh, but if that doesn't work you sit beside her and squish up until your bodies are pressed together. You just l-e-a-n into her and either kiss her or wipe away her tears. It pretty much brings me to tears myself to witness your capacity for compassion. See? Sweetness.

There's your pure boyishness (testosterone, anyone?). If I expected you to sit and play engrossed for any amount of time like your sister, I was wrong! You like to MOVE! It's not so much the toy that interests you, but what you can DO with it. You streak through the house like a maniac, yet with purpose. You love trucks and have mastered the prerequisite VROOM sound that accompanies them. You enjoy throwing or kicking balls, banging items together to get a nice loud sound, and wrestling on the floor with anyone willing to play. We all usually are!

There's your adorable quirks. You point at the porch, where your stroller awaits, and demand "See! See!" If you don't get at least two walks per day, you often throw a fit. And bath time? If we forget, you try to wriggle out of your clothes and climb in yourself! For those rare moments you want a calm activity, you hunt up the single Dora DVD that you watch, wave it in someone's face, and scream "DORA!" until you are watching transfixed. And I love that at your birthday party, rather than sit down and open all your gifts, you simply walked around and made an effort to visit with every single person there. I like to think this means you'll value people over possessions.

Is it any wonder we're all crazy about you? Even though your little personality is still developing, still unveiling, I already know you are going to become the most amazing person. Indeed, I cannot wait to see what further surprises await me from my beloved second-born child. It's such an honor being your mother, watching you grow, and helping you learn.

Happy 1st Birthday, Hudson.

All my love,

Mommy