Happy 1st Birthday Noah!

Our N is one. A year ago he was this little 8 pound baby who ate every two hours, fussed for a couple of hours every night, and just watched the world through bright newborn eyes. Through the year he learned to smile, sleep through the night, play with toys, laugh, play peek-a-boo, eat food, drink from a cup, sit up, roll over, and crawl. He traveled to Grove City PA, Pine Beach NJ, Wolfboro NH, Ventura CA, Washington D.C., and Harpers Ferry West Virginia.

Today he is a happy, healthy, 20 pound, 28 inch, little guy. He has 4 teeth that he loves to show off with a wide grin that lights up his whole face. His main vocalizations are either screams "Aaaah!" when he wants our attention or wants to contribute to a conversation at dinner, or "Dis?" and "Dat?" as he points. He loves to eat, and gets very excited when I am preparing his meals. His all time favorite thing, though, is his thumb. He has literally sucked it raw. It doesn't seem to bother him, and he sucks it throughout the day, but especially when he is sad, uncertain, or tired.

We had his birthday party on Saturday, and N enjoyed himself immensely. He smushed his fingers through the cake, and sucked off the icing. He was so excited with the brightly wrapped presents, and spent lots of time crawling in and out of the box. As we ate, he charmed all the guests with big smiles.

We are so thankful to the Lord for giving us this little life to love. He is such a blessing to us in so many ways, it's hard to believe he's only been a part of our family for a year. I am looking forward to seeing how he grows and changes in this next year.