Dear June

Dear June,

I cannot believe you are turning one.  As your Aunt Addie says, "The days are short, but the years are long."  So true.  It's been one tough year.  But it has been so rewarding and fun to dance with you in the living room, see you get so excited to see a dog, and eat dirt out of my one potted plant.  I want to record some of the things you are doing right now that I hope I never forget.

1. You eat your books.  Yes, you love turning the pages and rereading the same book over and over again, but left to yourself, you gnaw and gnaw and I'm convinced you would eat the whole thing if it were possible.  Your overall favorites are My Little Sweetheart (this was your party theme) and I Love You This Much.
2. You love music.  The best is that you always wave your arm up and down when The Office theme song comes on TV.  Most of the time you hear music, you start flapping that arm and then look at me and smile as if to say, "This is music, right Mom?  And I'm dancing, right?  And you think it's funny, right?"
3. You like to sneak into the bathroom (when we've accidentally left the door open) and splash in the toilet water and eat the toilet paper.
4. I think your favorite food is blueberries.  I've never seen an end to the amount of blueberries you will eat.  And it always results in green poop.  
5. You give me kisses.  I always end up with slober on my face and sometimes a couple bite marks, but you get the idea.  Kisses mean you love me!
6. You brush my make up brushes on your face while I'm doing the same.  And then you put them in your mouth.
7. You hold any cell phone, or any object for that matter, to your ear and even sometimes say, "Ro?"  I think you are saying "Hello?"  And then you put it in your mouth.
8. Matt Priebe has a special shy effect on you.  He'll say, "Hey June" and you act like Bashful almost every time.
9. Dogs!  You love dogs.  It's pretty much the only sign you have picked up (patting your leg) and Brutus and you are BFF.
10. Words you understand (at least I think): bath, night night, mama, dada, kisses, book, milk, bye-by, and perhaps Baby Signing Time.  If I say that you look at the TV and wait patiently.
11. I love that you give hugs.  You hold on tight with your chubby little arms around my neck.  It is so wonderful!
12. You "help" me sometimes.   If I'm wiping off your tray, you will grab the towel and do the same.   You'll wipe off your shoes like I do with a baby wipe and wipe the floor when I'm mopping.
13. We dance in the living room- mostly to Raffi.  If you have good balance, you'll bounce up and down and wave your arm.  Our favorite song is Sodeo.
14. I like how you poke me in the eyes if you wake up before me in the morning and they are still shut.  And blow raspberries on my tummy. And crawl all over me until I say, "OK I'm up!"
15. Just about a week before your birthday, you started walking.  I love looking over and seeing you taking just a few steps across the living room floor.  
16. Lastly, your business face.  You don't pass out smiles for free.  People have to work for them!

I hope I remember these things and more as you grow up.  Your daddy and I pray that you will be sensitive to God's Spirit and to people.  I pray you will know how beautiful you are and how much joy you have brought to our lives.  I also hope you know how much work it has been to carry about a 30 pound baby for the last 3 or so months!  During this Thanksgiving season, I am thankful for my sling that has helped cart you around everywhere.  I am also thankful that by experiencing the lowest of lows and the highest of highs all in one year, God has used you to teach me what it really means to die to myself and depend on Him more than anyone else.  Thank you June.

July 2011

November 2011

November 2012

 Happy Birthday June!