10/7/13 || 10/7/14
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To my dear Elliot,
Today, sweet boy, is your first birthday. It is such a big day! We believe that birthdays should always be celebrated -- another year of life is always cause for a party -- but this day, this birthday, is a big one.
Sometimes I close my eyes to remember and your birth feels like just yesterday.
||
I can hear daddy saying "Good job baby, you can do this! You ARE doing it!", I can hear Mimi and Auntie Bekah reading scripture verses aloud, I can feel Mrs. Lauren's hands rubbing my arms and legs and encouraging me. I remember crying and feeling like I just couldn't do it anymore, but Jesus gave me a surge of energy and told you "It's time to be born Elliot! Come on!!". You were such a stubborn little boy! I remember when you were born I pulled you up to my chest and you looked at me with your big blue eyes and I said "Hi monkey!" What a silly thing to say! I had planned so many pretty things to say to you, but all I could do was call you was my monkey and tell you how much I loved you.
||
I close my eyes and all that feels like yesterday, but sometimes I close my eyes and remember, and I think about all the things that we have done, that you have done, in the last year and your birth feels like a really really long time ago.
||
I remember... the first time you had a hard time going to sleep and were sort of fussy. To give daddy a break, you and I ended up on the couch and around 2am I found an app on my phone called "Baby Got Colic - Womb Sounds". That sound is the soundtrack to your first 6 months of life!
I remember... before you were even 1 month old, we started hanging out with Riley and Parrish a few times a month. They were your first friends, and you loved them so, so much. Riley loved to sing Jingle Bells to you, and you would always quit crying when she would sing. It was your special song from Riley.
I remember... the first time we took you on a hike. We were in North Carolina for Thanksgiving and it was brrr cold! There was snow on the ground and we bundled you up in the Moby wrap, and mommy and daddy took turns carrying you 4 miles up to the top. You slept the whole way up, then woke up at the top just in time to see the beautiful Smokey Mountains that momma loves so much. Grandpa was SO proud of you and you loved it so much, we promised to take you on many more hikes. :)
I remember... the first time we took you on a plane was to go to Michigan for Christmas! You didn't fuss once, you just slept the whole time! You loved Michigan and got to see your first really big snow, met the horses, and got to meet your great grandparents, and your name-sake, Grandpa Clark.
I remember... the first time anyone babysat you was Ms. Kate! It was so nice for mommy and daddy to have some time alone together, and you always love your time with Ms. Kate so we didn't worry about you one bit!
I remember... when you cut your first teeth. it was quite traumatic and difficult for you! you felt pretty icky and fussed a lot, but when they finally came through, you had your first 2 teeth at 4 months!
I remember... when you were 5 months we had our first foster friend come stay with us! You LOVED having an older friend around, and he was the first of several friends we would have come stay with us.
I remember... when you were 7 months, we took a lot of trips! we went to Seattle to visit and to pray about moving there so that we could tell people about Jesus - people who have never heard about Him before. We decided on that trip that we would move, but didn't know when Jesus would bring us here. We also took a trip to Colorado for a wedding then on to California so you could meet your Great Grandpa Webb! You got to see the beach and the Pacific Ocean for the first time! Then a few weeks later we took ANOTHER trip to the Virgin Islands, and you got to see more beaches and swim in the Atlantic Ocean! We were so grateful to all of your grandparents for giving us the opportunity to introduce you to so much of God's beautiful creation.
I remember... when you were 10 months we packed up our house and moved across the country to a new state. Moving was sort of tough on you, I think it was hard to be in so many new places without all your familiar things. Once we got your new room set up, you settled in and now you have met so many people and made so many new friends.
||
In one year, you have experienced so many things. God has given our family so many beautiful things for us to enjoy and to glorify Him through. All of our friends, family, all of the beautiful creation that we enjoy - all of these things are gifts from God. We can learn about God through them, and it is all part of our story.
Elliot, our deepest desire for you is that you come to know and love Jesus like we do. We will teach you about Him every day that you are ours!
Happy birthday, monkey. Mommy loves you so, so much.
Today, sweet boy, is your first birthday. It is such a big day! We believe that birthdays should always be celebrated -- another year of life is always cause for a party -- but this day, this birthday, is a big one.
Sometimes I close my eyes to remember and your birth feels like just yesterday.
||
I can hear daddy saying "Good job baby, you can do this! You ARE doing it!", I can hear Mimi and Auntie Bekah reading scripture verses aloud, I can feel Mrs. Lauren's hands rubbing my arms and legs and encouraging me. I remember crying and feeling like I just couldn't do it anymore, but Jesus gave me a surge of energy and told you "It's time to be born Elliot! Come on!!". You were such a stubborn little boy! I remember when you were born I pulled you up to my chest and you looked at me with your big blue eyes and I said "Hi monkey!" What a silly thing to say! I had planned so many pretty things to say to you, but all I could do was call you was my monkey and tell you how much I loved you.
||
I close my eyes and all that feels like yesterday, but sometimes I close my eyes and remember, and I think about all the things that we have done, that you have done, in the last year and your birth feels like a really really long time ago.
||
I remember... the first time you had a hard time going to sleep and were sort of fussy. To give daddy a break, you and I ended up on the couch and around 2am I found an app on my phone called "Baby Got Colic - Womb Sounds". That sound is the soundtrack to your first 6 months of life!
I remember... before you were even 1 month old, we started hanging out with Riley and Parrish a few times a month. They were your first friends, and you loved them so, so much. Riley loved to sing Jingle Bells to you, and you would always quit crying when she would sing. It was your special song from Riley.
I remember... the first time we took you on a hike. We were in North Carolina for Thanksgiving and it was brrr cold! There was snow on the ground and we bundled you up in the Moby wrap, and mommy and daddy took turns carrying you 4 miles up to the top. You slept the whole way up, then woke up at the top just in time to see the beautiful Smokey Mountains that momma loves so much. Grandpa was SO proud of you and you loved it so much, we promised to take you on many more hikes. :)
I remember... the first time we took you on a plane was to go to Michigan for Christmas! You didn't fuss once, you just slept the whole time! You loved Michigan and got to see your first really big snow, met the horses, and got to meet your great grandparents, and your name-sake, Grandpa Clark.
I remember... the first time anyone babysat you was Ms. Kate! It was so nice for mommy and daddy to have some time alone together, and you always love your time with Ms. Kate so we didn't worry about you one bit!
I remember... when you cut your first teeth. it was quite traumatic and difficult for you! you felt pretty icky and fussed a lot, but when they finally came through, you had your first 2 teeth at 4 months!
I remember... when you were 5 months we had our first foster friend come stay with us! You LOVED having an older friend around, and he was the first of several friends we would have come stay with us.
I remember... when you were 7 months, we took a lot of trips! we went to Seattle to visit and to pray about moving there so that we could tell people about Jesus - people who have never heard about Him before. We decided on that trip that we would move, but didn't know when Jesus would bring us here. We also took a trip to Colorado for a wedding then on to California so you could meet your Great Grandpa Webb! You got to see the beach and the Pacific Ocean for the first time! Then a few weeks later we took ANOTHER trip to the Virgin Islands, and you got to see more beaches and swim in the Atlantic Ocean! We were so grateful to all of your grandparents for giving us the opportunity to introduce you to so much of God's beautiful creation.
I remember... when you were 10 months we packed up our house and moved across the country to a new state. Moving was sort of tough on you, I think it was hard to be in so many new places without all your familiar things. Once we got your new room set up, you settled in and now you have met so many people and made so many new friends.
||
In one year, you have experienced so many things. God has given our family so many beautiful things for us to enjoy and to glorify Him through. All of our friends, family, all of the beautiful creation that we enjoy - all of these things are gifts from God. We can learn about God through them, and it is all part of our story.
Elliot, our deepest desire for you is that you come to know and love Jesus like we do. We will teach you about Him every day that you are ours!
Happy birthday, monkey. Mommy loves you so, so much.
