Happy 1st Birthday Nile!!

I'm really not quite sure how we got here so quickly. It doesn't feel like it's been a year but I know it has to have been. Time stops for no man, let alone my idle wishing. Nile has come so far in the past year. It's amazing how quickly our little ones change and progress into toddlers, children, teens and adults.
It has been such a fascinating and wonderful year. I was in no way prepared for Nile when he arrived but through trial and error I have discovered in myself a love that I had no idea could exist. Nile is my perfect foil. He pushes me where I need to grow, he compliments my strengths and tests my knowledge. He is creating my complete personality. Nile is so smart and excels where his contemporaries may not. Nile has always been a few months slow on his physical accomplishments but I think this is because he is so content to sit and study. He is happy to only sit or only crawl until he has explored everything available on that level as completely as he can. Mentally, though, Nile is a star. Nile has a three word vocabulary. He knows his Dada, his Mama and he's all too happy to shout No no no no no no when something doesn't meet his needs.

Nile is such an intense soul. His eyes study the deepest parts of your eyes. He is so expressive and talkative. His babbling serves him some purpose as he is always so confident in the gibberish. He loves to explore, test, experiment and socialize. He is so happy to sit with a toy and learn all its parts and ins and outs. He likes to study how tires spin and how toys move and operate.Nile is the ultimate Mama's boy and I couldn't love it more. While there are a few things he'll only do with Daddy, like "lounging" (Nile likes to lay very casually in the nook of Greg's arms, something he's never done with me), Nile definitely loves his Mommy. I love the special time I share with him every night before bed. I cuddle with him until he lays his head on my shoulder or rubs his eyes and then I get the pleasure of tucking him into bed each night. It is my special time and I wouldn't trade it for the world. It is my ultimate goal in this life to always be there for my little man. I'm confident that we've started a nighttime routine that will stick forever.
As I sit at my computer in tears, I say a quiet goodbye to my infant son and joyfully embrace my growing toddler. I will never be able to truly comprehend just how dramatically Nile has altered my life for the better. Happy 1st Birthday Nile, many happy returns. I love you!