ONE

One Year
365 Days
8,760 Hours
525,949 Minutes
And yet, it seems like yesterday that I held you in my arms for the first time. Brody Edward Lakes, my little Moosey. The missing piece to our little family. You came much earlier than we thought, nearly a month before you were supposed to, but you were so strong and healthy. The lungs that we were so worried that would be underdeveloped were clearly not, since you screamed for the first 5 minutes. :)


You looked (and still do) like a mini-version of your Daddy-big blue eyes and blond hair. Even in those first days when you would smile in your sleep, I knew you'd have his smile too-big dimples-a smile that literally lights up a room.


I'm not going to lie, your first few months, were difficult. Because you were premature, you had an acid reflux disorder, and colic. Long story short, you cried A LOT. And there wasn't much we could do to comfort you. It was tough on you and me. We finally figured out what was wrong and got you hooked up with some super pricey formula and the delicious Zantac and things improved.


At the same time, you were growing, QUICKLY. In one month you gained 3 pounds! (And that sweet Moosey, is where you got your nickname.)


Before learning to crawl, you'd roll from point a to point b. It was really very funny to watch. You would clearly have a destination in mind and you'd just roll yourself over to get there.


And then you started crawling. And there was no stopping you. In the blink of an eye you'd be in the playroom heading for the stairs.


Along the way, you developed this little personality. Happy, easy going, and calm. Unless food was involved then all bets were off. You love food. Truly love it. Before you even started babbling you would make "mmmmm" sounds when I would feed you. Your brothers were so hard to get started on solid food-not you! You enjoy eating.


You also enjoy playing. From the moment you had the skill set to pick something up, you've loved toys. Incredi-blocks, Little People, riding toys, you love them all. But your favorite is a ball-any kind will do. These days, we often find you happily tossing a Nerf football around the playroom. (I wonder if someday you will be our little linebacker??)


You love your big brothers and follow them everywhere. And they love you-they would argue for the chance to hold you or feed you. It is amazing to see your relationship with them develop over time. Now instead of being dependant on them you can interact with them and it's such a cool sight. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the four of you in playroom, hanging out together.


You have brought so much joy to our lives and despite being "veteran" parents, you have taught us so much about patience and faith.


Do I wish you would consistently sleep through the night? Absolutely! Do I secretly treasure holding you in the middle of the night, rocking you to sleep? Yup. You are our last baby, and I'm trying to hang onto your babyhood as long as I can.
So, Moose, it may have been 525, 949 minutes since you entered our lives, but I treasure every single one of them.



I love you Moosey, happy first birthday.
Love Forever,
Your Momma