To my sweet best buddy,

It’s 1:30 p.m. on January 4, 2012.  82 degrees and a beautiful blue sunny San Diego sky. 

T minus three hours and fifty minutes and you were born.

Love.  So much love.  My heart filled up and stretched beyond all bounds with love.

The first few months were sort of a haze.  Did anyone or anything else exist in the world other than you and me?  Not for me they didn’t.  No cell phones, no computers, no email, I just enjoyed getting to know you. 

The rest of the first year went fairly fast, except that each day also felt like an eternity.  But, in a great way.  There was so much for both of us to learn about each other from each new day.

Now you are two. 

Two. 

I can’t believe it. 

There’s nothing “terrible” about it.  You are perfect, exactly as you are. 

This was the fastest year of my life.  Partly because we were on the move constantly (Scottsdale, Sonoma, Virginia, Portland, North Carolina, Atlanta, back to Atlanta, Italy, Malta, Atlanta again and finally back to Portland).  And partly because you have grown and changed so much that I can barely keep up with you.  Literally! 

You’ve taught yourself how to walk, run, jump, dance, sing (about 15 songs!), count, the colors, the days of the week, your ABCs and most importantly, you’ve taught yourself good manners.  You are a true gem, Hudson Cade.  I love your spunky little (big) personality.  You are special.  And not just because I am your mommy.  You are special.  
You are a caring and empathetic young man with a huge heart.  Every morning you go back and forth between whether you want to give me “hug, hug hug” or “kiss, kiss, kiss”.  Thankfully, I get lots of both.  

You taught yourself how to pee pee in the toilet.  Yet, after sitting on the pot once, unable to go, you looked down at your peeper and exclaimed, in a worried tone, “broken!”.  You have a silly sense of humor that I adore. A little jokester with the cutest smile that melts hearts everywhere we go.  Thank you for making mommy laugh every single day. And when I don’t feel like laughing, thank you for giving me a great big hug, hug, hug and kiss, kiss, kiss. 

You are special.

You are loved.

I love you, Bug. 

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY!

Mommy