Mama Bear – Memoirs of Man Cub
My little man-cub turns ONE today and this momma-bear couldn’t love you more!!
I have relished every second of your babyhood. Sure, there have been mommy-moments of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted and frustratingly unproductive and hormonal, but when you have watched how fleeting the baby stage is already six times over, you know that the challenges of a newborn are only a season and you are keenly aware of how fast it goes and reminded savor every milestone and memory!
Eden, you are everything your name means. Our pleasant, delightful, perfect gift from God completing our family. You could not be more adored by every one of your older siblings. Oh the things we dote on! Every stage and new accomplishment is met with such praise and adoration. You have the complete attention and affection of everyone in this family!
You started walking 2 weeks before your first birthday and now have 4 teeth that finally came in! You’ve kept your ginger hair which still, a year later makes me laugh. Our little “lucky” surprise, born on St. Patricks day, with the strawberry top that I always wanted one of my babies to have but never thought would!
You’re the best snuggler and we’re lucky that you love your rest and understand that Saturday mornings are meant for sleeping in. You typically wake and come to our bed and fall back asleep. When you finally stir from your slumber mid-morning, you’re like a little bear cub coming out of hibernation. You growl and groan for a good minute or two before you actually open your eyes.
You’ve not developed much of an appetite for food other than mommy’s milk, except for passion fruit smoothies which you love to slurp through a straw! You’ve got chipmunk cheeks and can literally hold food in them for hours without chewing or swallowing. No matter tho…your hight is average but weight is in the 70th percentile. Apparently mommy produces buttermilk!
Your tricks include “so big”, signing “more” when you want more smoothie or cheerios, walking like a champ, kicking a soccer ball (thanks to your expert brother coaching you), saying “dada”, waving “bye-bye” and giving big, wet, juicy, open-mouth kisses.
For being as tolerant as you are with our big, crazy family and siblings incessantly picking you up and dragging you around, its funny to me that you’re such an introvert around other babies. We host church at our house on Sundays. You typically grab a lego or car of your own and climb up a sisters leg until they pick you up and hold you. Then you just sit on their lap for the majority of the service warily eyeing the other babies crawling around playing with your things.
Blocks are your favorite toys, but much to my chagrin, you’ve also already figured out how to get a response from Siri on my iPhone and you’re so pleased when she talks back to you! You’re also intrigued by the mosquito zapper and its a constant battle to keep you from playing with it. You watch daddy wave it around every night clearing our room of the little pests and you think its a cool toy he’s holding out on you!
Bathtime remains your favorite time of day and our go-to solution just before bed when you’re getting cranky and tired. Abi and Britain love to bathe you and we laugh at your little suntan lines and white creases from the chub rolls on your wrists and elbows! Oh those dimples and wrinkles! The cutest! “Pat-the-bunny” is part of your bedtime routine. You love books.
This year has been one of great joy Eden Carey! Our hearts have expanded to love another and we acknowledge the good gift God has given to our family through YOU! Happy first birthday sweet Baby Mine!
