To My Birthday Baby

Oh my little Owen.. Happy Birthday BoBo! 

First off… even though you are my second baby, my second son.. .I never want you to feel second best. I know as a second child myself, you will get hand-me-downs, and maybe things won’t be as elaborate as they were for your older brother… but there is something very special about being the last baby. 

Well, because… as corny as it sounds.. you completed me. Your brother was my first baby and made me a mother, but you sweet Owen, you completed me as a mother. You were the baby we really tried for, you were the baby I put my hand to my belly long before I knew you were in there and talked to and prayed for… because we were hoping for and anticipating you. 

You were my baby that filled my heart as a mother and made it overflow. When you came out of my body and were put on my chest I cried those ugly tears of joy because I finally got to meet you… and I couldn’t stop kissing your tiny (slightly old-man-ugly-wrinkly) face! I felt an instant calm with you, because I had done this before and I knew (somewhat) what to expect. 

From the very beginning you were a passionate little thing… you cried loud and hard, you ate like a little piglet, you snuggled and loved on us like we were the best things in the world. As you started to move and walk, that passion stayed with you and you threw yourself with abandon into everything you were curious about. The couch? Let’s climb it, then tumble off it! These stairs? That door? I will learn to conquer them! I hope that passion to seek out the new, the adventure, the unknown stays with you for all your days. I hope it takes you around the world and leads to discoveries that will give you joy. Just send Mommy a text once and awhile saying that you are ok. 

Along with that passion you are a mischievous little thing Owen!! You are sweet and funny with a side of naughty. Not only are you into everything, you are into EVERYTHING and if it’s off limits, the more you want it. The garbage, the dog food, the dirty diapers. You love to laugh at us and shake your head “no” as we verbalize the word and move you away from your latest naughty escapade. I think you are going to be our jokester, the one to play pranks on us and keep life just a little bit on the naughty side. I hope that you learn to know the time and the place for “breaking the rules” and use that to make the world a better place, or to excel in some way. Sometimes the rules don’t have to be followed, and the some of the greatest people before you were rule-breakers. So keep being a little naughty BoBo… life is short. Steal a cookie from the pantry, go swimming at midnight, say “I Love You” first, eat dessert for breakfast, stay in your pajamas all day… break those rules and live life to the fullest. 

In some ways you are so like your Daddy, Owen. You are such a social little butterfly and you love to be around people! You never wander off too far without coming back to touch me or Daddy, or be picked up and held and snuggled for just a minute. You need your “home base” of your family no matter what you are occupied with. They call you the Ambassador at school because everyone who enters the baby room, you raise your arm in greeting and offer your gummy, mostly-toothless grin in welcome. The more the merrier, in your opinion… and you light up so many peoples’ days. I hope you keep your love of people as you grow older, maybe become a champion of the people. Fight for what is right, what is equal, what is fair…  I hope you continue to light up lives with your sunny disposition and always have an arm raised in greeting and welcome to anyone and everyone who enters your world. 

In all the ways you are like Daddy in your love of people… you are so much like Mommy with your tender heart and sensitive side. Oh how you will cry and cry when you have been wronged… when you fall down, or someone takes something from you that you wanted. That passionate little cry bubbles to the surface and my heart always breaks a little bit for you. There are plenty of times we encourage you to just get up, brush it off, know that’s its ok… to get over the little things. Isn’t that what they always say? That life is really all just little things? So don’t be too put out by the little disappointments in life Owen, sometimes you do have to just stand up and brush things off…. But also know that it’s ok to be sad. It’s ok to be a little upset, and to cry and to show emotions. Yes you are a boy and society may tell you that you have to be tough.. but I hope your heart always stays a little tender. I hope it breaks for people who are suffering, I hope that it tells you to help those in need and fills you with a strong sense of empathy and compassion. 

You have been such a blessing to us, Owen… the hard days and hard nights were worth it though. Every morning you wake up so happy, so full of energy and life and love and you want to just spread it to everyone around you. I hope you grow up knowing how much you are loved, and how much love you have to give to the world. I know our world is already a better place because you are in it (despite what your older brother may say or feel at times!!)… I hope you love hard, love often, love without rules, love whomever you want… the world is yours baby, and I can't wait to watch you conquer it! I am so honored to by your Mommy, and thank you for being mine.

I love you, little BoBo, with all my heart. 

Happy 1st Birthday little one!