Dear Henry,

Dear Henry,

You've been here for 6 weeks now, which seems impossible to fathom.  Where has the time gone?  My little tiny newborn baby boy has grown into a bigger baby boy, and while it's so sad that you'll never be that small again, it's also so exciting.  You sit up on my lap now and take everything in.  Your deep blue eyes are wide with wonder, and I can see the wheels in your mind turning as you look, look, look at everything in our little world.  Everyday is similar at this point. We wake up around nine in the morning and I feed you, we play on the floor for a bit, we cuddle on the couch, we read, I sing you songs, we dance.  You sleep, you eat, the cycle goes on throughout the day.  When your papa gets home from work I can see you light up, and recently you gave him a big, big smile for the first time when he walked through the door.  Our hearts melted. Everyday you change and grow and do something new.  Your personality is starting to emerge a little more and I can definitely see a bit of the person you are becoming.  I think you'll be like your Dad.  Funny, kind, quiet at times, so loving.  Loving most of all.  You still like to cuddle up like a little koala on our chests while you nap during the day, and it's my favorite thing to just lay like that all afternoon and let you sleep.  You now grasp our hands, and even grasp toys if we place them in your palm.  You are beginning to lift and turn your head towards noise, and you really are starting to recognize our voices.

You are such a joy Henry.  This Christmas was the best of my life, because of you.  Your Dad and I couldn't help but already daydream about next Christmas, imagining you sitting there amidst all the red and green, bows and tissue paper, sitting up and enjoying every moment of your second, but truly new to you holiday.  This year you sat on my lap as I explained everything that was going on. You had your own stocking, and your own pile of presents, and I told you about the wonderful gifts you received from so many generous people. Clothing and toys, art and stuffed animals.  You are so loved.

Time is whirling past us, and I keep trying to stop time, to freeze it just for a moment.  It's impossible though.  So I will keep taking photos, videos, trying to capture it all.  I imagine your big twenty-something self, looking back at these photos with me, laughing along with your little mama at your tiny self- the noises, the faces, the adorable way you'd scrunch up your nose when you yawned.  I will tell you stories, your Dad will recount the time you did this or that, we'll all smile and reminisce. And you, my big son all grown up, my once tiny little baby boy, will look over at me and smile.  And you will know how much you are loved, and how much you've always been loved.

Here's to you Henry, today and tomorrow.

I love you,
Mama