To my son on his Birthday

My Dearest Hunter,

Today you turn one years old. Everyday for the past 365 days, I have held you in my arms, covered you in kisses, told I love you and thanked God for you. I still so clearly remember the details of your birth-day, from the nervous excitement we felt on the drive to the hospital to the moment I woke up after you were born and saw your sweet face. Even though your birth did not go quite as I had hoped or expected at the end of the day I had a beautiful, healthy baby boy and that's what I remind myself of when I start to feel sad about missing your first few moments of life.

The past year has been the most challenging, exhausting, life-changing, rewarding and happiest year of my life. You have brought so much joy into our lives and it's hard to believe there was ever a time when I didn't know your face. Today brings so many mixed emotions; sadness that your days of being an infant are over, excitement to see what's in store for the future and relief that we survived the first year and with very few major issues.

You are by far the best thing I've ever created and I'm so grateful that God chose me to be your mommy because being able to call myself your mother is my greatest honor. Growing up, I used to try to envision what my future child would look like or act like but I never could have dreamed up a son better than you. You truly have made my dreams come true.

Right now you are too young to understand just how much I love you but one of my many hopes for you and your future are that you one day get to know the love a parent feels for a child. Please always know, that no matter what the future holds, no matter how many times we may scold you for doing something you shouldn't, or tell you that you can't stay out past curfew, or that you really do need to eat your vegetables that we are doing it out of love. Because, my sweet boy, we do love you completely and unconditionally in a way that only a parent can love a child.

So today at 4:51pm, the exact moment one year ago that you entered this world, I plan to hold you in my arms and kiss you and tell you how much I love you, that same way I have everyday of your life.

Happy Birthday Hunter Kristian.

 I love you to the moon....

and back.