Monthly Newsletter #11

My dearest Gabriel,

I thought it time to write this newsletter a few days before you turn one year old. This month you have been quite the busy bee and it is hard for Mommy to find time to blog with everything else going on.

As I mentioned, you are so busy now. Your little hands are always reaching, exploring, analyzing all that you find around you. As I type this, you are on the floor thumbing through a book and studiously analzying the spine and how it is put together. You pause to pick up a car next to you, chew on it, growl, and then return to your book.

You have begun walking tentatively. You certainly know how, and with each passing day you add a step to the number of steps you take in sequence. It is so strange to see my baby walking upright. You are becoming such a soulful little boy.

I love listening to you play. You play very well on your own. You wave toys and make noises, sing, yell, and enjoy your presence in this world. There is nothing sweeter to my soul than to be in the room as you play peacefully. The sound of your busyness and contentment give me a joy that nothing else can.

You love to play silly games with your Da-Da. He can do almost anything and you roar with laughter. Your favorite game these days is to sneak up behind Da-Da and touch him, to which he responds with a dramatic, startled turnabout. You find that hilarious and like to do it over and over again. The simplicity and generosity of your laughter is like music to us both.

You are sleeping well these days and have adopted a favorite stuffed animal: a big cuddly lion whom we aptly named "Mr. Lion" which we pronounce in silly fashion as "Meester Lie-awn." Mister Lion keeps watch over your pacifiers for you until it is time for a nap or bed. You seem content to let him keep them thus far.

Being the good pagans that we are, we will celebrate all hallows eve by trolling merrily through the neighborhood and you will star as Mr. Lion! Though Mommy was scheduled to teach class that night, I proudly told my students that I had more important matters to tend to. I think Halloween will be one of my favorite holidays because you were born ten days before and it was our first mini-celebration with you last year. Were you really ever that small?

I must admit that Mommy is in denial about your turning one year old this Saturday. Though I've bought a slew of fun toys and party decorations, I still can't believe that a year has gone by. I miss my slumberous newborn and his cuddly warm body next to mine. And, yet, I love my busy, toddling, animated little boy who charms me with his big tooth-filled smile. It's such a mixed bag of emotions this Mommy business is...I want you to spread your wings and soar, to drink up all the goodness this life has to offer and yet I mourn each step you take closer to the edge and eventual final exit of this nest.

I want so many good things for you, my son. I want you to know happniness and confidence, self assurance and peace. I want you to embrace whatever vocation you are called to and to fulfill its demands honestly and successfully. I want you to love responsibly and respectfully and to be loved in such a way in return. I want you to know the joy of parenthood and the awesome, divine responsibility that it is. I want you to embrace life as an adventure, never afraid to take on a new challenge or to try something different. I want you to see the world and the beauty of different peoples and cultures. I want you to know that God will be wherever you decide to worship and that your presence in a religious community will help to keep your cup full.

As I watch you now, opening and closing the door to your Playschool house, I pray that the doors you seek to open will be good ones, and those which close on you will only strengthen your perserverance and inner truth.

As we stand on the threshold of your birthday, I want to thank you for the most meaningful year of my life. If there is one singular reason that God put me on this planet, it is to know the joy of being your mother, to relish the divinity of your laughter, to see truth and goodness in your maturing smile.

I love you more than mere words can express.
Mama