Hey there, big girl

Dear Charlotte,

Today you turn 1 and it's kind of a thing in blog world to write letters to your kids.  The very fact that it's a thing makes me not want to follow suit, but since it's actually a nice idea I got over it.  I imagine that by the time you're old enough to actually care what the hell you were like at a year old, thoughts and pictures will be conveyed telepathically, or with holograms Princess Leia style, but right now, we have the internet. Thank god, too, because no matter where we live, you're always going to be too far away from someone who adores you and this helps bridge the distance.

You already think Grandpa and Uncle Mark live in the computer monitor, thanks to Skype.  In fact, yesterday I had to jump on the computer with you in my lap and as soon as you saw the monitor you started waving and said "Hiiii!"

Although I am struck by how quickly the past year has gone by, I'm more struck by how much personality a one year old can have.  And has had for months and months.

In addition to being so beautiful that everyone says you should be a baby model - and believe me, Mommy would pimp out that adorable little face in a second if we lived closer to NYC to pad your college fund - you are just so damn charming!  You basically never cry, never get grumpy, and give everyone you see smiles, giggles, and impish little looks.  And sometimes they're devilish little looks that convince Daddy and me that you're going to spend the bulk of your adolescence grounded.  Such is the fate of a strong-willed child.

You're extremely easy going and social and it doesn't bother you at all to meet new friends or travel to new places.  When we go to the grocery store you look like a pageant queen because you wave and smile to everyone you see - even though most of them are ignoring you.

As well as charm, your most noticeable trait is strength, you're so damn tough! Physically and emotionally.  When your cousin Jackson has had enough of your bullying ways and actually takes a toy and bops you back, you mostly just look confused.  And the last time the nurse gave you your shots, you gave her one of the worst scowls I've ever seen.  Like you weren't hurt, but just pissed that someone would do that to you.

The toughness and fierce independence means that you won't give kisses, will only stand to be held if you don't have something else more fun to do, and are never clingy.  In fact, I wish you'd be a little clingy, at least enough to give your doting parents a kiss once in a while. 

You also LOVE music and anything related to water.  If any music comes on, whether it be a commercial, in a store at the mall, or actual music in the house, you immediately start dancing.  I'm hoping that that affinity, plus the long fingers you inherited from Daddy, means that you'll follow in his footsteps and be a musician. 

The first year has gone by quickly, but I fear that the second year, with all the walking and talking, is going to absolutely fly.  I'm already horrified that one day you'll be at school all day, or off at college.  You'll never comprehend how much Daddy and I love and adore you, how much we dote on every little thing you do or say, and how much fun we have at night when the three of us can just play on the floor and be silly together.

I said when I was pregnant that I wanted a happy, low-drama little person to add to our world and that's exactly what we got.  I can only imagine all of the adventures that our life together will bring.  Until next year...


Your insanely cuddly, goofy, over-protective, adoring mother.



Snapshot of life at the moment:
City: Albany, NY
Mommy & Daddy: I'm at home with you (though looking for interesting pt work), Daddy is working and going to school to get his MBA, he just finished year 1 of 3.
Cousins: Jackson
Siblings: None yet, though if it were up to your father, there would already be one. One day you'll understand how insane that is.
President: Barack Obama
Economy: Very slowly recovering from the Fall 2008 collapse
Fun stuff we did recently: You went to your 2nd Tar Beach Golf Tournament, we just got back from one trip to Cape Cod and have another one on the way.
You: Almost walking, babbling up a storm and starting to say things that sound like actual words, eating everything, preferably things you can feed yourself because of that whole independence thing I was talking about before.