Dear Jace: On Your 1st Birthday

Little Jace Buddy,

You’re one! How fast the time went. I can’t believe it’s been a year. You make me smile. You bring me joy. You are such a great addition to our little family.

As I type this letter you and I are playing peek-a-boo. I am sitting on the couch with the laptop on my lap. Your chubby little hands are holding on to my knees. Every few seconds you pop your head out from behind the laptop and squeal with excitement. Once acknowledged you laugh. That engaging, from the bottom of your gut, laugh. Your laugh makes me laugh. Causing you to laugh harder. Louder. And making the next peek-a-boo even more exciting and somehow even funnier than the previous one. I love you!

Jace, you have the best little personality. As a small baby you never cried or fussed. Really, never. As long as I kept you fed and your diaper changed you were happy. People often marveled at your laidback personality and commented on how content you were. I can probably count on one hand the times that you cried without reason. You were easily comforted and were patient with me as I learned to adjust to our new life with two kids. That laidback personality that you had as an infant only continues to develop and shine.

You’re a tease. A BIG tease. From the moment you started being able to interact and understand you have also teased. You love the reaction, that attention that it causes. The first time I let you sit next to your sister in the Costco shopping cart, I knew we were in for it. You were about four months old. You were so excited; giddy even, to sit there next to her. You were close enough that you could pull her hair and make her squeal. And when she would, you would giggle and reach up to harass again. You’re a clown. You’re happy. You love to laugh. And when you laugh everyone laughs with you. Your giggle is contagious.

You’re a healthy little boy. Since birth you’ve only had one cold and it was short lived. And aside from your doctor check-ups and shots you have only visited the doctor one time. You kept pulling at your ears so I concluded that you had an ear-infection. You didn’t. And I’ve since learned that you pull at your ears when you are uncomfortable, tired or embarrassed.

When I nursed you, you would take hold of my undershirt rubbing the silky material between your fingers. At about eight months you suddenly began waking during the night. You wanted me to hold you. Rock you. You would fall asleep holding onto my silky undershirt. The minute I would lay you down in your crib, you would awake and would want me to hold you again. In a desperate attempt to get some sleep, I cut up an old undershirt and let you sleep with it. You held it tightly, rubbing the material between your fingers. And, you slept through the night. You still fall asleep rubbing the material between your fingers and sleep with your “silky” clinched tightly in your little fist.

At about nine months you turned into a squawker. You squawk when you’re hungry. When you’ve eaten too much. If you’re tired. Or just woke up. You squawk at your sister. At the neighbor kids. And at the ladies in Relief Society. You squawk if you want picked up. Or put down. You squawk.

You know how to wave. Clap your hands. Go down the slide all by yourself. Climb the stairs. And the ladder to the trampoline!! You will walk along or behind anything, but still aren’t quite confident enough to walk unassisted. You love to pick stuff up and put it in bags, baskets or another container. You love the phone and are continually putting your hand up to your ear and “talking/squawking” on it. You entertain yourself easily. You eat anything and everything. You have beautiful blue eyes and a ton of hair. By the time you were ten months I had already given you six haircuts. You have always slept in your own crib and have recently decided that you only need one daytime nap. You give the best hugs and slobbery kisses.

You and your big sister are the best of friends. Brynlee worries about you and is always trying to protect you. You tease her, hug her and wrestle her. From day one Brynlee has called you her Buddy. I often have to remind her that your real name is Jace and we just call you Buddy as a nickname. The first thing she said when I picked her up from her first day of preschool was, “Was Jace Buddy crying? Did he miss me?” She loves you and I often over hear her saying, "Buddy, I love you!" J

ace, you're the best little boy. My little boy. I love to hold you. Snuggle you. Tickle you. And hear you laugh. You make me so happy. I love you so much. Happy 1st Birthday Buddy!

Love you always and forever,
Mom