1 Year Old!

My baby boy turns 1 today (a sigh and a tear...okay a LOT of tears!). This has been the most amazing year of my life...and of Aaron's, so far. Getting to watch this little boy grow and learn new things almost daily makes me feel so blessed. He really is an incredible person, especially for one so small still.

He's got such a fun personality and a great sense of humor. He also has quite a temper when he gets frustrated, which is any time something doesn't do what he thinks it ought to be doing. You can imagine how often that happens. With all the ups and downs that come with being alive, I have to admit our ups are far more frequent and long-lasting than our downs...and they are some really great ups.

In the last year, Aaron has taught me to love more deeply than I thought possible, to overlook things that used to bother me, to be more patient than I've ever been before and to watch how I react to difficult situations. (You wondered where he gets the temper?)

In the last year, I have also been able to witness his deep love for the people who come into his life, his fascination with, well, everything around him, his intensity as he observes boys and men, his compassion, his joy, and his ability to draw people to him.

He adores his family, both immediate and extended. He seems to know them as soon as he sees them. He observes so much more than I've seen most babies take in (or, perhaps, it's because I am observing him so much more and with more frequency than I've watched most babies).

He is particularly watchful of boys and men. There must be an innate sense that he will become one of them and he wants to know how they are...their behaviors, their interests, and their mannerisms.

He is also very aware when someone is upset or sad. Just the other day, we were doing our shopping and passed by a little girl in a cart who was crying. He turned quickly to see her and tried to get her to smile by smiling, making his silly faces and waving at her. It didn't help her to feel happy, but it was fun to watch him try and made me a very proud momma that he would do so without any encouragement from anyone else.

My little boy is already becoming quite an amazing man. I am looking forward to seeing what exciting new things await us in the next year and the next and the next.....




One Year Old Pictures - courtesy of JSA Photography