Happy (belated) birthday my sweet baby boy!

Wow. How are you already one??? Chunk and I went to Ash Wednesday mass at St.Vincents and it dawned on me that the last time I was there, you were a day old :(:(:( Oh how bittersweet it is to see my sweet boys get older. 

You are our little (big!!!) butterball of joy. You are so sweet and I love to see that big 'ol grin of yours, with your nose scrunched up and your eyes squinting. 

I have noticed lately that you are really receptive to your name. 99% of the time I can delay your into.everything/up.to.no.good behavior just by calling your name.

You love your brothers and Dada, but I must admit I have now realized how much you love your Mama. My mom and Chunk have mentioned that he will start crying to get to me the moment I walk in the room. And I didn't always notice it, but I have noticed his behavior the past couple of days. It's hard in the mornings b/c he wants me right when he wakes up and if he sees/hears me, but doesn't get me...he does that big, wide open mouth/long pause scream (like when they get shots). He literally leaps towards me and it has been cracking chunk and I up. But the funniest was tonight. I had not eaten dinner yet and chunk had, so he offered to put Joshua to bed. I said heck yea and he laughed saying he wondered if he could get Joshua to leave my arms. 

So he stood right in front of us with his arms reaching out to josh. Joshua looked at me, then looked at him, then me, then him, then he slapped chunks hands (like a high five). Chunk's still holding his arms out calling Joshua. Josh gives him another high five (looks at me/him/me/him), then another high five and kinda trying to push him away. So I hand chunk Joshua's bottle....Joshua looks at me like I betrayed him (then chunk/me/chunk/me) then touches chunks chest, then grabs the bottle and starts feeding himself, lol. We both started cracking up! He was not leaving his Mama AND his Dada was not taking his milk, lol. 

Although you were my late bloomer to STTN, you have made up for it and some. You usually sleep at least 12 hours each night and here lately 13+. You go down happily and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our little "conversations." I have recorded so many of them because they just make my heart so happy. You just lay on my chest after drinking your milk and many times you just make this sweet "ahh" sound and we keep repeating it back and forth to each other. Other times, your "boyness" (i.e.obnoxious) qualities come out and we will "scream" back and forth to each other....while you peacefully lay your head on my shoulder/chest. Other times, you will finish your milk and in actions show me that you are not tired. You will bounce up and down on my lap "screaming" (by screaming, I mean happy/loud sounds that we repeat back and forth to each other). Then you'll usually plop (it's pitch dark) the biggest, sloppiest, open-mouth/full of dripping drool, slobber kiss on me, eagerly waiting for me to start bouncing you saying "I got a kiss! I got a kiss! I got a kiss, hey-hey-hey-hey!!!!" And everyone once in a while, the moon will hit your face and I'll get to see that favorite scrunched/squinched smile I mentioned above. 

Joshua, I love you so much. You are the perfect final addition to our family and I cannot wait to hear you babble about your day. You make me and your family so proud. Your brothers just love to chat about you. Jack literally sits there and laughs at every.single.move.you.make. And Jared loves to make you laugh by being all obnoxious in your face...you usually love that too! 

Thank you for being our sweet son. We love you so much. 

Happy birthday my big baby boy!!!