The Big Oh-One!

Everyone: on three. 
One...Twoooo...THREE!

Happy birthday to you, 
Happy birthday to you, 
Happy FIRST birthday dear EVAN, 
Happy birthday to you.

And with that out of the way, this sort of milestone demands another letter from us to E. As always, I'll try to keep it merely damp with sap versus soaking in it. 

Dear E,

Wow! The big oh-one today. In ways, the last year has zipped by like a movie stuck on fast forward: The three of us bee lining it through our routines of work, play, family parties, trips, sleep, and play. However, we can't imagine what life was before you. And--frankly--we don't want to. You see, we love you more and more every day and in ways that are truly unimaginable.

We love you for...

• Curing us of road rage, work frustration, and other petty annoyances with a single zap of your baby magic. 
• Helping us grow closer as a couple when faced with this amazing and daunting experience of raising another human.  
• Giving us countless inquisitive stares with those intensely blue eyes (where'd those come from??). 
• Melting our hearts when you "cruise" all the way across the living room, making daring crossovers from the couch to the coffee table, just to give one of the dogs a pet. 
• Having some of the most unruly hair known to man...and rocking it. 
• Being a trooper as we carted you across the western hemisphere for a week long cruise, ten days in Costa Rica, a couple trips to New Mexico, Seattle, and even a bachelorette party in the Gold country.
• Conjuring patience as we figure out exactly what you want--especially recently--since you know exactly what you want. 
• Making us laugh when you say "mmmmm" every time we ask you if you want oatmeal...and for loving oatmeal more than any living person could.
• Expanding our capacity to love far beyond what we knew before. 
• Just being your loving, playful self.   

There are so many other reasons that we can't capture because they are impossible to describe.

Happy Birthday, lil'guy,
Mommy and Daddy

P.S. We know that nickname's days are numbered since you're a big guy now.