Dear Charlie

Dear Charlie,

HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY! 
It literally blows my mind that you are ONE YEAR OLD today.  Like seriously, it seems like just yesterday that I was driving (myself) to the hospital for my scheduled c-section, stopping at Forza so your inconsiderate father could get himself a coffee to drink in front of his very pregnant wife who hadn't been allowed to eat or drink anything since midnight the night before.  But here we are, and you're no longer a baby anymore, (even though you'll always be MY baby).

This month you learned to sign "more" and now you sign it ALL the time.  More is always better, right?  MORE waffles, MORE applesauce, MORE fish crackers, MORE craisins, MORE cheerios, MORE bananas, etc.  You also figured out how to go UP the stairs, and when I come to get you OFF the stairs you laugh and go faster, except when you go faster you don't really GO any faster, you just kind of expend more energy getting nowhere, faster.  You're so funny, Charlie, thinking you can outrun your Mom.  Silly boy! 

You are still really good at going to bed.  (thank you for that!)  If you're tired, you will literally dive into your bed, snuggle up your blankie and go to sleep.  (with your binkie).  If you're not tired though, you will hand me your binkie and point to your bedroom door, as if to say, I don't need this right now and let's get out of here.  I know I said that I was going to take your binkie away around, oh EIGHT months ago, but, you're my BABY, and you like your binkie to help you fall asleep, and, well, to hell with it.  You can keep it.  And remember how I said I wasn't going to feed you in the middle of the night anymore, since about, oh SEVEN months ago?  Well now I am SERIOUS.  For real.  I mean it.  Don't even try to wake up for a snack anymore.  OK?  (pretty please?) 

You started going to Moms' Day Out this month (a couple weeks before you were officially ONE, shhh, don't tell!).  Anyway, Moms' Day Out is three hours Friday mornings where I get to drop you off and I get to go to Target by myself!  You like to put on a nice show and cry while I'm leaving, until I'm (apparently) just out of earshot, when you settle in and play the rest of the time with your new friends.  At least that's what they tell me.  It's nice to have a little free time without you, although a) I really don't know what to do with myself without you and b) I always feel like I'm forgetting something when you're not with me.  Because c) I LOVE YOU.  d) LOTS.

Happy Birthday my sweet darling baby boy.
xoxo
Love,
Mom

(if you want to join us, please let me know so I get enough donuts!)