Happy 1st

Dear Clay,

Sunday was your first birthday and it was met with much excitement! Your dad and I have had a magnificent time watching you grow into our little guy over the past year. You are our strong, independent (extremely independent), inquisitive, happy little man. Your personality has grown into a HUGE one - we never have to guess what you are thinking and I LOVE it! You are very expressive - verbally and non-verbally. Your face will often times say it all!

You still sleep with us every night and we wouldn't have it any other way. You love to snuggle with us in the mornings and I have to say - it is one of my favorite parts of the day. You hold onto us like you are going to fall off the earth if you let go. It is the sweetest thing. Ever. You sometimes wake me up in the middle of the night rubbing on my arm - for no other reason than to let me know you are there and you love me, I suppose. I love it. I stay awake at night often just to love on you and cuddle with you.

Even though you will not want to remember when you are a teenager - you still breastfeed at least 3 times a day. Mainly when you are sleepy and ready for a nap and during the night. I think you mainly breastfeed for comfort now as you are eating everything me and your dad eat. Either way - for nutrition or comfort - I still enjoy that time. It's been one of the greatest accomplishments and most fulfilling things that I have ever done. And one of the greatest things that I have done for you so far.

You weigh 25 pounds and you are built exactly like your dad. Already. You are tall but it is not because your legs are long, it's because you have a l-o-n-g torso! You have a little bitty booty - sorry Casey, he takes after you. I love it! It's so cute! I still think you look a ton like your dad with a smidge of me in there somewhere!

You are walking like a mad man! You started really walking the day before your birthday - you took a few steps before there but you walked down the entire hall the day before your birthday. I still think crawling is your preferred method of getting around, but you walk at least 50% of the time now. (You crawl so fast - it's amazing how quick you can get from one end of the house to the other!) You are still just a little wobbly on your feet, but it makes it that much cuter when you walk. (You often walk with one arm close to your core and one arm flailing out beside you for balance - it's really cute.) Your dad and I laughed hysterically last night watching you walk around the living room - you were so entertaining!

You were amazingly social at your birthday party - a little shy at first. (Don't worry, your dad and me were a little shy too - it's the first time we had ever had that many people in our house at one time!) You loved opening your presents - okay, you loved playing with the paper that came off your presents mainly. Your dad helped you open most of them. After everyone left we put all of your toys together and in your true form - you were more interested in how they all worked! You turned them all over to examine all of the screw holes and spent a lot of time spinning all of the wheels! (You are a little Casey.)

You try so hard to say the words "bird" "ball" and "milk" - you can say "dada" and "mommy" perfectly. When you are hungry you walk around the house and say "me me me" - you also tend to say that when you want more of something! It is so cute! I love it! You love grabbing peoples noses and listening to them "honk" appropriately. You also love to point to all of the animals in your books - you expect them to make the appropriate noises and will look at you sideways if you don't "quack" on cue! You are SO interested in books and will sit for just a bit to listen to a good story. I say "good" because you are quite picky when it comes to books and what you want to listen to. (I like to think you take after me in that - I'm kind of a book snob as well.)

You have the blondest hair and the brownest eyes - you still have your Donald Trump comb-over as your dad and me have not given you your first hair cut! Your little hair hangs way over your ears now and is even starting to curl on your neck because it is getting so long! (We will not be cutting it any time soon - it is so cute!)

Your favorite toys are as follows - anything off of dad's bookshelf, dad's classical guitar, your lawn mower you got for your birthday, mom's cell phone, the kitchen chairs (you love to push them around the dining room and kitchen), the cat (sorry Taylor), your pool, anything that rolls (balls, blocks, push-along toys), the toilet (you love to flush. and flush. and flush. and flush.), the dishwasher (you love climbing in it, you love turning it on, you love loading/unloading it), and you love playing with hangers. You have to know how and why everything works and can be entertained for a long time trying to figure it all out. (I love you for that, Casey.)

You have a very distinguished palate. You eat whatever it is we eat but your favorites are yoplait yogurt (and yes, it has to be yoplait), you like the cheese off of pizza, jello pudding, avocado, any type of crackers, string cheese, my vegetable soup, ice cream, your variety of "puffs," mac and cheese, breakfast bars, cinnamon applesauce, graham crackers, vanilla wafers, anything chocolate (thanks Memaw for that gene), cold milk out of a sippy cup, anything that comes out of a straw, and mainly anything that dad puts in his mouth! (You love your daddy and love everything he loves!)

Happy 1st Birthday little guy - we love you a ton! Our love grows every single day for you! You are our everything and we love being your parents!