Today is your birthday. August 6th, 2008 you joined your mother and I in this world at about 7:17 in the evening. I can't wait until you wake up today so we can celebrate with you. We're planning to go to the zoo and walk around and see all the animals, and maybe we'll even go somewhere special to eat.
We're so happy that your Granny Jayne has come down to visit you during this wonderful week. She's very happy to see how big you've gotten since she last saw you (around Thanksgiving 08', just before we moved from Boston to Columbia). When she last saw you you weren't even crawling around much, and now you're running circles around all of us. Granny got you swimming lessons for your birthday, so you and momma can go to the pool and you can splash around all you want.
I'm very proud of all you've learned this first year: from first rolling over, then crawling to now walking and running; from drinking breast milk and eating pureed vegetables to eating pizza and drinking apple juice; and especially from cooing and crying to babbling and saying momma and dad. Your face grows more expressive every day. You've already become quite the little flirt, and your scrunched up face brightens any day, even if we're still not sure what you really mean by it.
I'm overjoyed to get to be your father, even if it pains me to see the look on your face when you realize I'm leaving for work. The mornings of soggy diapers, breakfast and Yo Gabba Gabba are not nearly time enough for all I hope to one day teach you, but I know we must take it all one day at a time, and before we notice a year has shown its growth in your shaggy hair and expanding vocabulary. I promise to be there for all the tall tales and mental breakthroughs that I can, and know that if I'm gone, it's only to try and bring an even better life to you.
But I get to be here with you for the next five whole days without interruption! Starting with your birthday today and then your party on Saturday, all the way through til we take Granny Jayne back to the airport on Tuesday morning. I can't even imagine all the fun we'll have, the four of us traipsing around to your year old beat! It almost makes me want to come wake you up to start the celebrating right now, but I know better, "Let sleeping babies lie."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASPER IRVING!
