Happy Bithday Arthur!!!

Arthur is one year old today!!!

And if you can't guess from this blog, we have not looked back!! (Also I have not mastered the art of keeping up with a blog whilst keeping up with kids...so that's a little more reflective of the spareinglyness of this blog).

"YAY! It's my First Birthday!"

 Today I am, as you can imagine  - soaking in Thankfullness that we are here -actually, I've been soaking this in for a while now as his one year birthday approached - so it's been weeks of Thankfulness really.

He's one year old and healthy and strong and here with us to celebrate. 

Healthy. Healthy. Full of health. Do you know how much I like that word applied to my baby (to any baby really)?!?

Healthy and Cute

Healthy and Happy

I lack words to fully say how today feels to me. I really do. 

Arthur is having a blast being a baby! He goes about his business of being a cute little guy every day as if nothing ever happened to scare the lights out of us! He is such a little socialite, smiling and eye-catching anyone he can - he is a charmer all the way!  His belly laugh is, along with Lillian's laughter the best sound in the world to Myers and me.

His absolute favorite toys (according to him, everything is a toy) are iPhones, TV remotes, Lils hairbrush, balls of all kinds, things with wheels, and stairs, stoops, boxes ...anything that can be climbed up on. He loves to carry markers around the house (so far he doesn't open them...so I let him carry to his hearts content.)

If he hears music he seems to have an automatic be-bop response. Sometimes he just nods his head along other times it's all out dancing. Goodness I love that about him. He also "talks" a great deal, sings  too - but only he knows what he's saying most of the time (we are starting to make out some of it)!

He's starting to get good at animal sounds too - he does a great "elephant" with arm up and all (taught by his big daddy elephant-impressioner expert). He laughs at pictures of Owls (because he thinking about mommy's excellent owl call). And Lillian is his stars and moon (she can get him to laugh like no other - right now her comic act is jumping on bubble wrap to make pops as loud as possible. He is in stitches with every pop).

Full of Smiles and Love

He's got her on a pedestal

He doesn't yet know he has not one, but two amazing sisters (oh how my heart melted when one day when he saw Gwen's photo on my computer and smiled, WAVED and leaned in toward her - probably would have done that to any baby picture (not to rain on my own parade but it's true)...but still, I loved the moment.

The memory of last year is tough -- as I look back I kind of can't believe it all over over again and I feel sick remembering vividly, feeling the emotions of each day as if I'm there again... Much like happens to me at various times regarding a few other completely devastating events in my life... Ugh. Memories can be cruel in their ability to overtake your present existence...but it's all good, par for the course less I'm not human.

Healthy and Busy

 But I know those are just memories - visions of the past --and  here we are - keeping it simple cause that is how we do 1st birthdays. Just a normal moment in our lives - with extra meaning to us sprinkled in, no doubt - HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY to our wonderful baby boy!! Your laughter, your sweetness, your bright smiles, your joy - your silliness and your personable ways bless our every day! I love seeing you and Lillian play together - the bond and the love you share is previous.

Myers and  I simply couldn't feel more relieved,  grateful and fortunate (I KNOW it's not this way for so many of the kids who see the kind of doctors he saw at UVA. It's never left my mind that on the doctors cards were "Hematology/Oncology" -- his docs were more familiar with to non-self-limiting blood disorders).

So to Arthur - I say again, Happy Birthday!!!

Another favorite toy

 I love you, my little, sweet baby boy! I love love love the way you break into a little baby bopping  dance pretty much every time you hear music. I love how you are like Lillian - determined to learn how to climb up  - boxes, fireplaces, stoops, stairs, couches -- up and down and then over and over once you've figured it out. I love seeing you hold and drop your ball then study the effect of your efforts and then get it and do it again. I love seeing you be silly and try dropping it behind your head to see where it goes! I love seeing you push your toy cars along, such classic little boy moments. I love your friendliness,  the way you can work a room - staring at people till they look at you the giving a coy smile and snuggling into me as of you are shy - as if!! I love the way you entice a game of chase, getting us to follow you as you speed scoot-crawl, that same funny one-knee bent under crawl that your big sis Lil used to do -- and then you crash down head first into a cushion and laugh as we tickle you. Your babble so full of nuances and inflection is delightful. I love your floppy cute hand wave and how you like to give "head bonks", something Lillian also liked to do. Your cuddles make my day.

"I'm 1 years old!"

 What a wonderful year it's been!! Too many blessings to count!!

Thanks again to everyone who walked with us last year and helped it be bearable by being there and praying for Arthur and lending a hand in various ways - THANK YOU!