Feliz Cumpleanos!

Today (at 7:17 pm exactly) our little man turned one! Wow, this year has past by sooooo fast. But I also can't remember life without him so it seems like he's been a part of our family forever. He is such a good baby and he absolutely just fills our days with joy (not always our nights though)!

I'm really not good with words so I'm not going to try to describe the way he lights up our life or try to explain just what a huge blessing he has been in our family. Instead I'm going to steal an idea from Kate Bailey (hi!) and list all the little things that we love about him. Well, all the ones I can think of right now:

I love...
- the airplane noises he makes with his lips
- how he empties drawers and then cleans everything up when he's done
- when we're in a group of adults and everyone is laughing and he breaks in with his ridiculous fake laugh.. like he's part of the conversation too
- that he can play by himself for reeeeealy long stretches of time
- how he reacts when Daddy comes home from work - he hears the garage door open and immediately zooms to the gate and waits for Daddy with a HUGE grin
- that he will go to anyone and everyone without any reservations and without any tears
...but still gets giddy over Mom & Dad in a way that he doesn't do for anyone else
- that he loves to hug Mom & Dad & jump all over us when he gets excited
- when he chases the cat all over the house, laughs hysterically at everything the cat does, & is constantly trying to kiss & snuggle him... even though the cat hates him :)
- that he still takes two 2-3 hour naps a day!!!
- how he loves swimming & going on walks, hikes, bike rides, & all things outdoors
- that he loves water & is always stealing our cups, water bottles, camelbaks, etc.
- how he says very little real words, but is constantly jabbering in his own little language
- how strong he has always been - I've never felt like I was going to break him & he's so much fun to play with
- when he gets so excited that he flaps his arms so fast and so hard that he looks like he's trying to fly
- how ticklish he is - especially when Daddy is doing the tickling
- his big toothy grin
- how excited he gets when we let him open the garage door
- giving him baths and watching him giggle as he drenches the bathroom with splashes
- his big grin and even bigger shriek (the happy kind) when we open his bedroom door in the morning
- how excited he gets when we let him play on the stairs
- "hiding" in the closet while he opens and shuts the door on me and giggles like crazy when he sees me
- watching him walk by himself - he looks so drunk :)
- watching him learn new things
- that he still sleeps in the car
- the pouty face he makes right before he's about the cry
- folding laundry with him, aka. folding laundry then watching him dive in head first like it's a pile of leaves and play like he's never had so much fun in his life
- holding his hand
- his pacifier, aka. "the off button"- great for: calming nightmares, church, the car, or any other time you want your kid to shut up!
- what a great eater he is
- the sound of his voice when he says "mama"
- the cute little face he makes when he says "no no no"
- when he's crying at night and I pick him up and he melts into my body and falls right back to sleep
- when he's been hurt he crawls right to me (or Scott) and knows that we'll make it better

... I could probably list a bazillion more things, but you're probably getting bored reading this (if you've even made it this far). Long story short - we love our little boy and he has completed our lives in a way we never knew possible. Happy birthday Mason!

PS. We're having a small party for him after church on Sunday - I'll post messy cake pictures then.