Dear Joe,

Today is your first birthday and I cannot put into words what this day means to me. I have been blessed with the best baby boy in the world for a whole year...and his awesome big brother too for that matter. What a lucky mommy I am. You are, in a word, AWESOME! It truly is a pleasure to be your mom. You are fiesty, adventurous, curious, clever, spunky, fearless, smart, flexible, and sweet as can be. You love to learn new tricks and practice your skills. Some favorites right now include pulling up on anything and everything and cruising...you especially love stairs and your walker. You love to read books, play with toys (especially your brother's toys) and take baths. You are a VERY busy boy and are all over the place and into everything. You absolutely wear me out but I love watching your mind at work and seeing what (trouble) you get yourself into. You are so close to walking and I can only imagine the chaos that will ensue when you master that skill. You can say several words, including mama, dada, buba (for Ben), dog, ball, nana, sissy, and of course, NO! You love food and say "mmmmmm" with a big grin on your face whenever you taste something you like. You are a very fickle eater, however, and it is hard to tell what you will like from one day to the next...though you are consistently a big fan of cheese (just like your mommy)! You love to repeat sounds and try to mimick the talking you hear around you...and lord knows there is a lot of talking in our house! Another new skill you recently mastered is blowing kisses. You say "mmmua"and pretty much smack yourself in the mouth!! So cute! Speaking of mouths, you still put EVERYTHING in your mouth. We all have to be very diligent about keeping little things picked up so you are not constantly choking yourself! To celebrate your birthday Aunt Sissy came over and joined us for a trip to the Children's Museum. Trey came too since we watch him on Wednesdays. You had a blast and even enjoyed a ride down the big yule slide with mommy. I admit, Joe, when I was pregnant with you I was worried that I would never be able to love another baby like I loved your brother, Ben. You should know, however, that I love you every bit as much as I love your brother...which is to say I love you both more than I ever imagined possible. You mean the world to me. I am so proud of you, Joey, and can't believe what a big, beautiful boy you are. You are my sweet little love bug and I can't imagine my life without you. God bless you and may your second year of life be filled with even more adventures, love, and happiness. Love, Mommy