Sunrise Ruby

Ben turned 1 yesterday!  Last weekend we celebrated with a party of family and a few close friends.  In his first journey around the sun, our little bub has gone from a tiny 5-pound preemie to a whopping 25-pounder who’s a little tall for his age.  He’s acquired the ability to eat and breathe at the same time, to smile and to laugh, to crawl, and he’s not far from walking.  He’s fascinated with drawers, books, dogs, and pieces of fuzz on the floor.  He loves being outside, taking baths, and swimming.  He’s very into putting things into containers and learning to feed himself.

The 14th of this month marks not only Ben’s first birthday, but our first anniversary as parents.  I’ve grown up so much over the past year!  Becoming a mother has broken open my heart to new levels of love and compassion not just for Ben, but for everyone, including myself.  Seeing him explore his world helps me to see my own world with fresh eyes.  As I discover who Ben is, I discover more about who I am.

Happy Birthday, Ben!  We love you more than you know.  Maybe more than you’ll ever know, unless you one day have children of your own.

Here’s the obligatory first-birthday-cupcake-destruction photo:

(You can see the whole set of birthday photos here.)