Dear Jon David,
I can't believe it has been an entire year since you were born. I waited until the last minute to write this post, because I was secretly hoping to slow down time and keep you from getting older. Tonight I fed you and prayed for you, thanking God that He has given you to us for now and realizing that there is no stopping time. You are growing, growing; and I am excited to see the man (gah!) you become. (I can really only wrap my head around you growing into a boy, but a man comes after that, and I need to come to grips with it. Help me, Lord)!
You have been the perfect addition to our family. I don't know how or why, but this round of infant-rearing has been a sweet time for our family. I know that sounds silly, but it isn't always easy for me to go through the baby stage. Your dad thinks you might be our easiest baby, but I think we've just been worn down or forgotten the past! :)
It's also funny to me that now, at 3 kids, I should probably have the hang of this parenting thing a bit. If anything, more time at this gig has shown me that I will never have it all figured out. We're just learning as we go and praying that God fills in all the spaces where we mess up.
What I can tell you about your life so far is that you have filled us with joy. I waited to find out if you were a boy or girl because I knew that if I had a boy, I wanted to name him Jon David. I knew I couldn't keep a secret if I found out beforehand, so it made your birth all the more exciting. What you also don't know is that I lost my beloved grandmother (Paw Paw's mom) when I was just a kid. She died suddenly at the age of 56, and we were all shell shocked for a long time after that. I always thought that it would be a strange, bittersweet year when my dad would turn 56, because those wounds never heal completely. When you were born on November 9th, 20 days before Paw Paw turned 56, God showed his loving kindness toward us. Your dad, Kristen, and I waited in the hospital room with anticipation, willing the nurse to hurry up and finish bathing you so we could introduce you to him. It was a sweet moment for us all.
I want you to know that I don't know anything about boys. I barely understand your dad most of the time. I was starting to feel pretty comfortable with a house full of girls when you barged into our lives. If I need to learn the names of some dinosaurs, how to make truck noises, or how to bite my tongue when you're climbing too high on the playground, bring it on. This old dog can try and learn some new tricks for you.
Jon David Livingston, I love you. I am glad you were born. This year, let's work on kissing mama on demand instead clawing my face while screeching like a pterodactyl.
Happy birthday, son.
Love,
Mom
[You were doted on from the get go]:
[If this ain't a proud dad, then I don't know what is.]
[You were born on a Sunday night. We had our friends take Christmas card photos that Friday morning, because I sometimes make foolish decisions].
[This pretty accurately describes your personality]:
[Post-haircut, when you turned into a teenager over the course of one hour]:
