Dear Bently,

I am writing this letter not quite sure what I want to say to you. All that enters my mind is how completely happy I am. You make me so happy. You are so sweet. I love your smiles and your giggles. I love singing to you right before I put you to bed. I hate days where I have to leave for work without putting you to bed. I stand there and you lay your head on my shoulder and I sing to you. I can always tell when you are really tired because you'll raise your head and look at me and smile. I just know you are so anxious to get into that bed! I love holding you there because I know someday you are going to be a big boy, you're not going to want me to hold you, or rock you, or sing to you before bed. I can't even tell you how much I dread that day coming. I am trying to hold onto every single second because they are going by too fast! :( Here is a small list of things I never want to forget!

-Every morning when I get you out of your crib you have the biggest smile on your face! Then you hand me each of your stuffed animals in your crib one by one.
-You have started sleeping with a stuffed animal under your arm! It is too cute!
-You have started to giggle at everything! It always makes my day!
-When you walk you hold your hands together or you'll have one hand underneath your chin. It's adorable!!
-You love dogs and will give any dog you meet a hug but not humans!
-You cry when I leave you now. I love it because it means you love me and miss me when I'm gone. But it breaks my heart because I hate to leave you!
-You LOVE bananas. You get so excited when you see one coming your way! :)
-You clap your hands ALL the time and I love it!
-You hate getting dressed/getting your diaper change. As soon as it's off you are on a mad dash out of there! As annoying as it can get I love watching your baby butt crawl across the floor as fast as it can!

I know there are so many more but those are the ones that immediately come to mind. I love you so much my son. I home some day you can read these letters and feel of my love and now how deep it runs! I love you handsome man!
Love,
Mommy

Dear Bently,

I've been meaning to write you forever! But life is just crazy hecktik as usual! :) Here we are, Easter Sunday, (april 8, 2012) and you are already one! I can't even believe it! I still look at you and see my tiny little baby. That soft little newborn I brought home from the hospital. I remember constantly marveling at how small you were. You're little hand would grab onto my fingers and I would just stare at those tiny fingers. I couldn't believe something so small could hold my heart so tightly. Even though you are bigger now, you still hold my heart little man. Everyday I get to spend with you is my favorite day. I hate having to work but it's what we have to do at this time. I can't wait for the day when I can stay home with you and get to snuggle and read to you and wake up with you in the morning! Seriously can't wait!
You're birthday was so special. I think all first birthdays are. I know you'll never go back to being a baby. You are a toddler and a big boy now. I know you already see yourself that way! As all the people who love you gathered around and sang happy birthday I couldn't help but get chocked up. I looked over at your Dad and at you sweet face and I just felt the severe and utter joy that surrounded that moment. As I watched the flickering candle I told Dad to make a wish for you, since you weren't old enough to make one yourself. I wish so many things for you my boy. I guess what I wish more than anything is for you to live a life full of happiness and love. :)
We took you to the zoo on your actual birthday and it was too fun. You weren't exactly super excited about looking at the animals but you still enjoyed yourself! I loved holding you and pointing at the animals. I loved watching you get excited and slightly scared watching the porcupines run around. I love your wonder at looking at the birds. I loved your sweet smile while staring at the monkeys! The whole day was magical and wonderful. It's a day I wish I could replay over and over again! You have given me so many amazing memories already and it's only been a year! Kid you have quite an influence over your Mother!
This morning was so fun! Last Easter you were only a couple weeks old and just laid there the whole time. This Easter you were able to crawl around and gather the eggs and put them in the basket.You LOVED all the candy and constantly wanted more! You looked so cute in the outfit we gave you! You are so funny now! You LOVE to walk! Not by yourself, but if someone is holding onto your hands then you practically run everywhere! The whole time you are walking you are just laughing and grinning! :) It always makes my day! :)
I love you so much Bently. I wish I could spend every second of everday with you! :) You are my whole world son!!
Love,
Mom

Dear Bently,

My tiny blog post mentioning Christmas isn't enough. So I decided to give you a list of my Christmas highlights with you. Not all of these happened Christmas day but they all happened in December!

*Watching your eyes light up looking at all the lights.

*Snuggleing on the couch watching Christmas movies together.

*Picking out your Christmas presents! Yes you were there! ;)

*Playing games with you and Daddy.

* Feeding you all my favorite Christmas foods even though you techniqcaly probably shouldn't have had any!

*Sitting with you in the dark staring at the Christmas tree!

*Christmas morning with you. Watching you try and eat the paper and look at your toys with the most hilairous expression!
*Just being with you. I am so frustrated with my inablility to put into writting how truly special you are to me. How every little second we get together now suddenly means 10x more because I work. Because I suddenly realize how fast the time truly is going.

Sorry for the tangent. Basically your first Christmas was magical and perfect and I loved every single second! Most of all I love you more than anthing in the world! Just watching you smile Christmas morning was the best Christmas gift ever! :)
Love,
Mommy

Dear Bently

As I sit this you are sitting on my lap. I can't believe how big you are! And how much you wish you could play with the keyboard. I know someday I will look back on this and long for the days where you sit on my lap. I seriously love it. I worked 10 hours today and I hated being away from you. It's the worst! But I got to come home from my lunch and I was trying to nap but all you wanted to do was "talk" and play! :) I couldn't resist your big smiles and you cute jabber! It made going to work all that much harder. As I buckled you all snug into your carseat I gave you about a million kisses!! You are so good to put up with my kisses. You just have the perfect kissing cheeks and I can't resist! Now I am home and you just woke up from your nap! So here we are. Two peas in a pod. You are my little best friend and I hope you think the same way about me. I love you Bently! More than you know. I hope one day you'll be able to read these letters and realize how much I love you. I am planning to give them to you on your 18th birthday. I can't even imagine you that old now. But I know the time goes by too fast. You are my whole world little bew! I hope no matter how old you get you always realize how much I love you!!!
Love you with all my heart,
Mommy