Diego,
Happy Birthday! It is so unbelievable to me that we have now all been together as one big happy family for one year. I feel as if just moments ago you were a wiggly little munchkin in your bassinet and now you reach up for my hand to walk with you – around the house, around the block, or anywhere your two feet will carry you. You have changed your Dad and I in so many countless ways, all for the better, of course. I cannot remember how I lived without you as a part of our family. We’re so glad you’re here! Here are some of my favorite moments during your first year:
Just after you were born, your nurse took you over to the incubator to clean you off. I was worried because you didn’t start crying right away like you would expect newborn babies to do. I think you were just checking our your new surroundings and didn’t cry because you liked the looks of this big new world. You have been brave about every new experience you’ve encountered since. Your Dad reached for your hand and you grabbed it with such strength! We knew at that moment you were going to be a big strong boy.
The day you turned 1 month old, you were very restless and couldn’t settle in to anything – eating, sleeping or even staring at the ceiling. I made up a silly song to sing to you about your poopy diaper and you cracked your first smile! It was a beautiful smile, too and cracked me up. We still make up silly songs together and you’ve just started to try and sing with me. I’m really looking forward to making up a lifetime of silly new songs with you.
A week or two after your 1 month birthday we took you to Monterey to meet your Chito and Grammy Didi. On the drive home we stopped in Santa Nella for a break and it was very cool and windy outside. Instead of turning away from the wind, you lifted your face to it, closed your eyes and enjoyed feeling the wind blow through your hair. To this day, you still love wind in your face. As you got older, we’d put you in your bouncy chair and flap a towel so that the breeze hit your face. You’d laugh and laugh and flap your legs in the chair.
You used to smile and then frown and then smile again in your sleep as if your were practicing making faces for future use. What were you dreaming do you think?
We took you to Indiana when you were 2 1/2 months old. You loved your Tia Maritza immediately! You would stare at her paintings as if you were already a great art connoisseur. One night, Maritza was showing you some yoga poses and you laughed for the first time. It was so charming and infectious that we all laughed with you.
You have always been a social little bug. We traveled with you almost constantly while I was on maternity leave and you kept your sunny disposition despite long days at the airport and missed flights. You were very happy with Chito and Grammy DiDi in Oregon and loved sitting by the fire and laughing with Chito during dinner. In Indianapolis, you were totally entertained by your cousins, Ryan, Bethany and Madeline.
I loved spending time with you while you were nursing. You were such a voracious eater! You used to play with my hair while you ate – gently, though- you didn’t start pulling hair until a little later. Even then, you learned quickly that none of the women in your life liked to have their hair pulled and you stopped. You loved eating solid food from the first bite of rice cereal we offered you. You’ve never been a picky eater since and eat almost everything we offer you.
At about 4 months old, you realized that you could ham it up for the camera. What a little supermodel baby you became. I remember Daddy taking pictures of you after your bath one night. Oh how you laughed and laughed. It was hard for you to go to bed that night because we’d had so much fun.
You got to swing at the playground for the first time during our trip to Orlando. Now that was funny. You’d be kind of quiet while the swing went backwards and then laugh hysterically when you swung forward. You couldn’t quite crawl yet but you were super proficient at rolling around the floor to get where you were going. While playing in FL, you rolled over to your cousin Ethan and put your arm around him. You two were truly fast friends.
We went to St. Louis for a long weekend visit with Bill, Meredith, Max and Will just 1 month later. By that time you were just getting into hanging out with other kids. You LOVED Max and Will and couldn’t seem to wait to be big so you could play with them. You’d just barely figured out how to crawl commando style but weren’t so graceful yet. (You could only push off with one foot and drug the other leg as if it didn’t work quite right.) When we got to Will and Max’s house, they’d crawl in front of you and you’d chase after them (one legged) laughing all the way.
I’m sure you don’t remember, but that was about the time your ear infections starting coming fast and furious. Even when you were sick and had a fever, you still managed to be cheerful during the day. Nights were hard, though, and Mommy and Daddy did everything we could to comfort you in any way possible. When you finally got to have your surgery, you brought down the house during pre-op. You sat like a king in the middle of the hospital bed with nurses, anesthetists and doctors surrounding you. The anesthesiologist suggested that you might not need sedation before the procedure. Your Dad and I tried to get them to sedate you anyway saying how you were starting to get separation anxiety and might cry if they just carried you away from us. The nurse anesthetist put his arms out toward you, you reached up to him and he carried you off to surgery. You were smiling at everyone you walked by and didn’t even look back at us once for reassurance. You never cease to impress us with your trust in all of humanity and, more importantly, your trust in us. You knew we’d be there when you needed us and weren’t worried for a second.
After you learned to roll over, you started sleeping on your tummy. At first I was really worried because all the “experts”say you really should sleep on your back. I was relieved when I found out that it was fine for you to sleep however you’d like once you were rolling back and forth. About that time you started sleeping in “child’s pose”, one of my favorite yoga positions. All that prenatal yoga really paid off, huh?
Once you were mobile, you began crawling over to strum the guitar on its stand. One of my all time most favorite memories is when you and Daddy play guitar together. Daddy will put the second guitar on the floor so you can strum while he’s playing. I totally love seeing the two of you playing music together. This memory is also great because you still like to play the guitar with Daddy even as you’re growing older. I can imagine a day when you both will be sitting side by side strumming along together.
The more mobile you get, the more you like to move! You love dancing to any music but really get going at your Tia Maria’s house when your Abuelita claps her hands and sings for you. You are one great dancer! Your love for your Abuelito is also totally amazing and knows no bounds. You look for him anytime he is not in the room and love playing chase with him.
We traveled to Santa Fe for Bronwyn and Bob’s wedding when you were 10 months old. You were such a trooper. This might have been the hardest trip for you yet because you loved being on the ground crawling around and didn’t want to be held all the time like a little baby. Because we were traveling, you were essentially stuck with us and worse, stuck in our arms most of the time. You were amazing. You gave your first unsolicited hug to Bronwyn after dinner at Harry’s Roadhouse. You observed the situation, realized we were saying goodbye for the night and reached out to give Bron a hug. You recognized immediately how close we were and that she was truly family. During the trip you would often hold your hand out to the world as if you were giving it your blessing. At the wedding, the priest asked everyone to put their hands out to give Bronwyn and Bob their blessing. You blessed them just as you’d been blessing everything and everyone in our path the whole week. The truth is, we are so blessed to have you! You also got to catch up with your Uncle Lyman, Aunt Sarah and Grandpa while in Albuquerque. We spent a great afternoon at the zoo. The best part was at dinner where the waiters brought you a new fork, napkin, spoon, you name it, every time you threw one on the floor. Meanwhile, the waitresses were flirting with you every time you held your hand out and “blessed” them
A few weeks later we traveled to Monterey to visit Chito and Grammy Didi and took your first trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. You stayed awake the entire afternoon and were fascinated by everything but most loved the touch pools where you could touch the water and plants.
Just two weeks ago you were hanging out standing up by the ottoman and suddenly you let go and took your first 3 steps to me. I yelled at Daddy and he came out to see you take your second three steps. Now you are up to 10 steps and I know it won’t be long before you are running.
Wasn’t it just yesterday that you smiled that goofy smile at me for the first time? I wish, I wish, I wish I could experience all the moments again (minus the sleep deprivation, of course). If I could, I’d put the memories on repeat and play them again and again, adding new ones every day. I can’t wait to experience all the next year has to offer with you, Diego. You and Daddy are the most important things in my world. Aren’t I the luckiest Mommy on earth?
I love you with all of my heart. Always.
Love, Mommy
