Letters to Colin: Number Two

Dear Colin,

As of Sunday, November 29, 2009, I am no longer measuring your age in months. You are ONE. ONE!!!!! I suppose it would be easier, for the sake of development, to continue to measure your age in months; however, when people ask how old you are, I will say one. You'll soon learn that I'm not very good with math. I just hope you don't get my 'inaptitude' for it. If you do, I'm sorry, kid.

One thing that you will probably hear throughout your children, and you will inevitably be annoyed with it, is how adults will proclaim that time goes so fast and that children grow so much in a short period of time. Well, dear Colin, I'm here to tell you that they are right. It just seems like yesterday we brought you home from the hospital and your father and I took one look at you and thought to ourselves, "Are you sure we can do this?" I remember when we first strapped you in the carseat (which you did not like) and your daddy wanted to double and triple check to make sure you were properly secure in the seat and the seat itself was safe and secure. His exact words were that I want to make sure my pride and joy is safe. Pride and joy. You definitely are those, Colin. Even when you are a stinker!

At this stage of your life, you're beginning to walk. You take about two or three steps before you fall forward. I fear you inherited Mama's sense of balance, but I also know you'll get there... eventually. I'm not in any hurry, though, because this just means that when you can walk, you have a wider area in which to wreak havoc. You do enough now with the cruising and crawling. Hehe!

As far as talking, you're a stubborn one, let me tell ya. You can say "Mama" and "Dada" when you want to, as well as "uh oh" and "all done" and your all-time favorite "hey"... when you want to do it. You can also clap, fold your hands together and pray, show us how big you are, play peek-a-boo, and wave bye-bye. Again, you do it when you feel like doing it, not when someone wants you to do it. You're great at making a liar out of your parents.

You don't take a bottle anymore. Mama and Daddy are rejoicing over this. It makes life a lot easier. I do miss giving you a bottle, but the simplicity of just putting whole milk in a sippy makes life a LOT easier... and less expensive. Formula is expensive.

One important thing about your birthday that I have to share, though, is that it's also a 'birth' day for your father. You see, the night you were born, your daddy was scared, so he prayed and prayed for you and me. That night was the night that your daddy accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. As a result of that, he was 'reborn'. My prayer for you, Colin, is that this will be something you do as well.

So, Colin, welcome to the second year of your life. You made this past year a wild ride, and it's been one of the greatest experiences of my life.


Love,
Mama