Thank You, Adam

Dear Adam,

Congrats! You made it a full year with this insanely crazy family of five. In typical third child fashion, I am writing this letter to you two weeks after your first birthday.

You didn’t have a big birthday party. We spent November 4th in Disney World… I mean, what better way to celebrate?! You smashed a small cupcake. You listened to us sing to you. You watched you brother and sister blow out your candle. You got a new Donald Duck stuffed animal. You observed, the way you always do.

Adam, at one year old you are simply irresistible. You have a calm temperament. There isn’t much that upsets you. You are careful and delicate. You are stoic and are very selective with your smiles, and we love you for it.

You are crawling everywhere. You can stand, but lack the confidence to take your first steps. You love sitting at the table with your brother and sister. You adore them. They adore you. There has never been one ounce of jealousy since we brought you home a year ago, and that makes us both so happy.

You love graham crackers. You love chicken. You love bananas. You love carbs. Your hair is crazy blonde, and you have a golden tan to your soft skin. You are tall. You have chubby cheeks. You love to help unload the dishwasher. You enjoy putting things in boxes. You adore stuffed animals and cars.

Adam, I have to be completely honest with you. There was a time around your six-week mark when we genuinely did not know if you would make it to your first birthday. You fell very ill with RSV and had to be hospitalized for four days. You couldn’t open your eyes. Your lungs were filled with the virus. We were scared.

After day 2 at the hospital, you opened your bright brown eyes at us and our prayers for healing were answered. During those 4 days at the hospital, I grew closer to you than I ever could have imagined. It’s hard for me to remember how I felt for your older brother and sister when they were your age. But you are so special. You have expanded my heart to a capacity I did not know existed.

Adam, your sister loves to make you laugh. She growls at you and shakes her finger at you saying, “You’re a bad, bad baby.” She says it with a laugh, and you bust out laughing hysterically. You like to annoy her. You’re going to have a fun relationship.

Adam, your brother is your protector. He gets nervous when you cry or try to crawl down the stairs on your own. He won’t let you bathe alone because he’s afraid you could fall. He hugs you and wrestles with you, but never too hard. He’s excited for you to throw a ball with him, but that doesn’t stop him from playing with you now. He is going to be your best friend.

Adam, your mommy and daddy are obsessed with you. You laugh and smile and give us kisses. You rough house with your dad and you crawl to me for safety.

We spend a lot of time at home, the 5 of us. We cook almost every meal at home, we watch movies together, we play games, we listen to music, we go on walks. You are right there with us. Every second of every day.

Adam, thank you for showing us we still had more love to give. Thank you for expanding our hearts. Thank you for joining this loud family. Thank you for going with the flow. Thank you for teaching us how precious life is. Thank you for being you.

Love,

Mom