My Dearest Hudson,

When we found out that we were going to be having you, our shelves started to pile up with books explaining in detail all of the things that we were going to have to start teaching you.  Chapter after chapter of ‘expert advice’ started taking over our lives as we tried to prepare ourselves for the daunting task of becoming parents…becoming your parents.  We were supposed to help teach you the differences between right and wrong; red and blue; cat and cow.  We were supposed to help you learn how to eat with a spoon, go up and down the stairs and to be gentle when pulling Tugger’s tail.  We were supposed to start education funds and childproof our house; while helping you learn to embrace your imagination and not destroy everything within arm’s reach.  Our lives were about to be dedicated to helping you become the person that you would eventually grow to be…and to teaching you what you needed to know along the way.

Looking back – a year later – those books seem meaningless in their knowledge.  They seem superficial and inadequate.  They seem to have earned their layer of dust on the shelf because at the end of the day, every one of those books failed to mention the single most important aspect of teaching that would come with your arrival…the fact that really, from the moment of your birth, it would be you who would be doing most of the teaching…

You taught us patience {*sigh* oh so much patience!}, while also teaching us to be less tolerant {of mean people, violent movies and bad drivers!}.  You taught us how to use a puppet with one hand while changing a diaper with the other.  You taught us that although time goes by so quickly, nights can still be painfully long!  You taught us that sometimes, what’s good for Mommy’s mental health is also good for everyone else’s mental health.  You taught us that for every time we put something away, you would be more than happy to take it back out.  You taught us that sometimes sleep is better than sex and that it is actually possible to end nearly every conversation on the topic of poo!  You taught us that being a husband and wife {at least pleasant ones!} can be tricky business when you don’t get enough sleep, but you also taught us that one of the very best things we can do for you as parents, is to love each other.  Truly.  Madly.  Deeply.  You taught us to never take for granted the ability to be productive and that few sounds will ever melt our heart the way hearing you laugh does.  You taught us just how meaningless the word ‘no’ can really be and that sweet potatoes have a striking distance of about four feet!  You taught us that the easiest way to make Daddy look even more handsome than he already does…is by just holding you, and that one of the best baby shower gifts you can ever receive is stain remover!  You taught us that watching the leaves blow in the wind really is an amazing way to spend an afternoon and that a cheese grater probably shouldn’t be played with on our pretty hardwood floors!!!  You taught us that life is an unbelievably beautiful thing and that realizing your ears are attached to your head truly is something to celebrate!!  You taught Mommy {because I don’t think that Daddy can entirely relate to this!!} that from the most intense pain comes the most remarkable joy, and that sometimes, Boston Cream donuts make the best breakfast.  You taught us how to sleep sitting up and that baby teeth are really sharp!  You taught us that there is a magic to Christmas that we didn’t even know existed and you taught us how much we really, really love {and miss!} peanut butter!  You taught us that traveling was a whole lot lighter before you came along but you also taught us that the journey is far more fun when you stop to take more bathroom breaks!  You taught us that you apparently have a thing for waitresses and that with eyes like that…you seem to get away with just about anything!!  You taught us that cat toys can easily double as baby toys and that much to our surprise, not even you can override our respect for books {yes, you can destroy the bathroom scale, but no, you cannot destroy Dr. Seuss!}.  You taught us that it’s never too early to love rock music and that there are times when it’s perfectly acceptable to spend your education fund at Starbucks!!!  Most of all though, you taught us just how immense God’s love for us really is…because he entrusted us with you.

I can’t tell you enough how much the past year has made me smile.  Waking up every day being able to watch you love, learn and grow has been the greatest blessing of my life.  Waking up everyday being able to watch us love, learn and grow – I can assure you – has forever made us better people.  My heart aches to watch you grow up so fast and yet, I’m so proud of the little guy that you have already become.  You have been the happiest baby anyone could ask for and you make everyone around you just as happy.  I hope that one day I will be able to accurately express to you just how much your presence has made the world – our world – a better place.  Your Daddy and I spend every day being overwhelmingly grateful knowing that He chose us…that you chose us…to be your parents.

Thank you for your gorgeous giant eyes.  Thank you for your incredibly sweet soul.  Thank you for your uncontrollably contagious laughter.  And thank you for teaching us so much…it’s been the most amazing year of our lives!

Happy birthday my little man!

We love you…so much!
xoxo

p.s. Daddy says to keep up the good work!!!