The Undiscovered Country

Happy New Year!

I know what you're thinking: "Happy New Year? Aren't you 19 days late?"

In every life comes such drastic changes we can't help but want to measure time by them. For instance one change came when I married Dave. Another when we moved to North Dakota.

The biggest and best change was Thomas' birth. Hence my happy new year. Yesterday Thomas turned one year old.

I look back and can't fathom my life without him.

It's been a great year overall. Watching the little guy go from a wiggly lump to a tall, lanky boy who can stand with little support for a few seconds at a time, walk when someone's holding his hands, crawl like he's in a race, and dig into the kitchen cupboards for the loudest bowl or lid to toss and spin on the floor.

Dave taught him how to blow a whistle and is teaching him how to play the harmonica. I'm trying to teach him to say "Mommy" and "Daddy" and other words.

He grins a lot, loves to laugh, can wave "hello" and "goodbye," and mimic our dog by sticking his tongue out and panting.

When he's tired or wants to snuggle, he'll dive head-first into a blanket if there's one near. He'll ignore the fanciest toys to push the buttons on the DVD player. When the bowls bore him, he'll crawl like a little speed-demon to splash around in Rufus' water dish, or try to unplug the phone.

Keeps me on my toes, that kid, and I wouldn't trade a single moment (or the 23,891st time I told him no, he could not play with that power cord).

So to me, yesterday began a brand new year full of laughter, smiles, dirty diapers, a million more "No"s, getting soaked during bath time, the occasional snuggle, and I hope a happily spoken "Mommy".

Now for some pictures of Thomas eating his first birthday cake (the first of six photos):

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