Happy birthday to our dearest firstborn son, Edmund. We can't imagine life without him and have loved watching him grow this past year.
Saying that we are blessed to have him as our son doesn't seem to do justice to how we feel about being his parents, how much we enjoy it. We enjoyed taking in all of the little moments that have made up his life and made ours feel more special because of them. Trying to put away the to do lists, to live life with him, to bask in the amazing little boy he is and the man he will someday become. Enjoying his pensive curiosity, his silly laugh, his love for spinning in circles and dancing, his inquisitive nature that stops him to inspect the ordinary making it seem the most interesting thing in the world.
God knew how much we wanted him and selfishly needed him in our lives. Just as marriage has refined us and made us less selfish, so has he. He has helped us learn more about what it means to love, to act selflessly, to give grace, and to experience joy. The fact that God gifted him to us still amazes us.
And it scares us. He is an enormous responsibility and the task of raising him weighs heavy on our hearts. Fear settles in, but we are reminded of God's love for us and for him and that if we can somehow mirror that in his life, that the rest will fall into God's hands. Because, he is of His design, not ours.
Every day isn’t perfect. There are tantrums and tears. We get frustrated as parents and feel like throwing in the towel, or at least locking ourselves in the bathroom for a few moments of peace. We are learning how to work through all of it alongside of him.
We will continue to do our best to nurture him - his determination, quiet thoughtfulness, fearlessness, and desire to help in all things. We will let him help make dinner, even though it requires more time and means a larger mess to clean up, and load the dishwasher, and fall down while running down the uneven pavement, and pick all of mom's bulbs to claim as his own.
Here are some of our favorite things from this past year.
13 months
Highlights - Learning to wave hello and goodbye, Eating an entire apple, First trip on a pontoon boat, Started running without abandon, First "shiner"
Link - edmund at 13 months
Saying that we are blessed to have him as our son doesn't seem to do justice to how we feel about being his parents, how much we enjoy it. We enjoyed taking in all of the little moments that have made up his life and made ours feel more special because of them. Trying to put away the to do lists, to live life with him, to bask in the amazing little boy he is and the man he will someday become. Enjoying his pensive curiosity, his silly laugh, his love for spinning in circles and dancing, his inquisitive nature that stops him to inspect the ordinary making it seem the most interesting thing in the world.
God knew how much we wanted him and selfishly needed him in our lives. Just as marriage has refined us and made us less selfish, so has he. He has helped us learn more about what it means to love, to act selflessly, to give grace, and to experience joy. The fact that God gifted him to us still amazes us.
And it scares us. He is an enormous responsibility and the task of raising him weighs heavy on our hearts. Fear settles in, but we are reminded of God's love for us and for him and that if we can somehow mirror that in his life, that the rest will fall into God's hands. Because, he is of His design, not ours.
Every day isn’t perfect. There are tantrums and tears. We get frustrated as parents and feel like throwing in the towel, or at least locking ourselves in the bathroom for a few moments of peace. We are learning how to work through all of it alongside of him.
We will continue to do our best to nurture him - his determination, quiet thoughtfulness, fearlessness, and desire to help in all things. We will let him help make dinner, even though it requires more time and means a larger mess to clean up, and load the dishwasher, and fall down while running down the uneven pavement, and pick all of mom's bulbs to claim as his own.
Here are some of our favorite things from this past year.
13 months
Highlights - Learning to wave hello and goodbye, Eating an entire apple, First trip on a pontoon boat, Started running without abandon, First "shiner"
Link - edmund at 13 months
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| 13 months |
14 months
Highlights - Started signing for milk, more, and eat, Learned to give high fives, Can say mom, dad, numnum (for food), hi, yes, and papa (for grandpa).
Link - edmund at 14 months
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| 14 months |
Highlights - Mooches for food, Got his first canine tooth, Stopped crying at nursery at church,
Learned to come down stairs by himself
Link - edmund at 15 months
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| 15 months |
Highlights - Got in 3 teeth, Dressed up as old man from Up for halloween,
Link - edmund at 16 months
17 months
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| 16 months |
Highlights - Got his first bad cold, Now has 16 teeth, Took his 3rd airplane flight, Helped decorate Christmas cookies for the first time, Loves doing hand motions to songs like itsy bitsy spider, Started climbing on everything
Link - edmund at 17 months
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| 17 months |
Highlights - Started putting things in baskets, Likes playing his drums, Enjoys mimicking people, Likes picking up leaves on walks, Loves cuddling while we watch videos on the alphabet
Link - edmund at 18 months
Link - edmund at 18 months
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| 18 months |
Highlights - Helped with chores including sweeping and dusting, Painted his new big boy room,
Loves turning light switches on and off, Started spinning in circles, Loves throwing balls while yelling "a ball".
Link - edmund at 19 months
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| 19 months |
Highlights - Finally weaned, Enjoys building towers and knocking them over, Likes art projects - drawing with chalk and finger painting
Link - edmund at 20 months
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| 20 months |
Highlights - Enjoys helping cook, Loves going on walks and collecting sticks, Moved into his big boy room
Link - edmund at 21 months
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| 21 months |
Highlights - Became a big brother, Loves dancing and throwing balls, Likes playing with plants, Watching ants crawl, Hiding in his play fridge, Blowing dandelions, Petting dogs
Link - edmund at 22 months
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| 22 months |
Highlights - Helping in the garden, Likes saying kitty and puppy, Adjusting to life as big brother, Visits from family
Highlights: Learned colors, Learned alphabet sounds, Getting 2 year molars (right on time)
-eric & anna
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| 24 months (aka 2 years!) |
