Happy Birthday

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Happy first birthday, little fella.

Hard to believe it’s already been a year. Feels like yesterday and forever. I remember the first time I ever saw you. Your mom asked me to look over the curtain, to see how things were going, and my first reaction was a horrified, “NO!”

Heh. What can I say? I’d never make it as a surgeon.

But I looked. And I saw your first moments in this world, as the doctors held you. Covered in goop, you were. A little weird looking pink thing, with wisps of hair, looking like a little comic book drawing, as though someone had just drawn little lines for your eyes.

The first days were strange. I suppose they are for all parents. The books talk about “getting to know” your child, and that’s really what it was like – even though you slept most of the time, and only woke up to do your business(es), we’d watch you for hours. We’d look at your little hands, poke your little feet, and marvel every time you yawned or made a sound.

It was stressful – full of uncertainty & tiredness, sometimes even fear – but watching you over this year has been the best year of my life. Hearing you laugh, for the first time. Watching you watch us, curious. Giggling hysterically as you playfully tried to bite my nose.

The first time you let out a little shriek, scampered over to the edge of the bed, and pulled yourself up on my shirt, arms extended, asking me to pick you up… yes, I admit it, I cried. I bawled like… well, not like a little baby. I have no idea what any of these “like a baby” sayings are from. “Sleep like a baby” = what, wake up every 45 minutes screaming? Heh. I suppose in the end that was our fault, but we figured it all out eventually.

And now? Now you’re almost walking. You recognize a handful of words. You bang on the drums, you eat all kinds of stuff, you’re *funny*, which is still weird, to me. You’re growing every day. You try hard to do things, and when you get a goal in your little head, you work hard to achieve it. I hope that sticks with you, and that you never let that go.

Happy Birthday, little fella. I love you.

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