I know it's a cliche, but Where has the Time Gone?
No. Seriously. Wasn't it just yesterday that he could sit on my lap?
Wasn't it just last week that we taught him to read?
When did overalls become something of the DISTANT past?
And, for that matter, when did short hair become the same?
10..
11...
12!!Sigh...
My baby. My peanut. My introduction to Motherhood.
I love you, Justin. I love everything about you. (Even the things I don't like. Yep. You know what I'm talking about - I love that junk, too).
I love who you were. I love who you are. I love who you are becoming.
I love the mystery of who you will someday be.
I love that you were such an easy baby. You caused me to have great confidence in this whole parenting gig. What was the big deal? My kid slept everywhere, ate everything, and was so polite and brilliant, I thought that it was all the direct result of my own abilities as a mom. Thank you for being so good for my self-confidence. Without that early confidence, I don't know that I could have survived your grade school years. Because, as you know, they were... difficult. Let's leave it at that, shall we? This is, after all, a Loving Birthday Letter.
I love that you are now a happy pre-teen. Your interests and abilities are uniquely you. Your insights and perceptions never cease to amaze me. I know now that all of these special qualities are not solely BECAUSE of my parenting abilities but I'd like to think that I have influenced them just a tiny bit...
Enjoy this year, my baby. (And please don't get embarrassed that I still call you that!) Don't rush to grow too quickly! Continue to hold onto your childhood, for as long as you can! Go easy on your mom, because though it may feel to you as if it's taking forEVER to grow up, it feels to me like the clock is on some sort of super-speed setting...
I love you. Happy Birthday Twelve-Year-Old!
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16 comments:
You got me. Tears. I love birthday posts. Happy Birthday, J.
Well hell. That's me up there ;-)
What a beautiful birthday letter! Happy birthday Justin.
My boys are not allowed to be 12. In fact the older one needs to stop this growing thing immediately. Eight really is enough.
Happy Birthday, Justin. And Happy Birth Day, to you, Tracey.
Oh, and I'll be your BlogHer '11 roommate! We could have "just another hotel room".
Awww, Happy Birthday Justin! Hope it's a great year.
I hope your daughter has a great birthday!!
great letter! You've INSPIRED me to write a letter to each of my kids this year.....
too sweet! I hate birthdays for my oldest because they are coming too fast! Happy Birthday Justin.
A very happy birthday!
And where does the time go? I now have 20 year olds!! How did that happen?
Happy birthday Justin!
Dear Justin,
Happy Birthday. And you may as well get used to what your Mom says and does - I'm 65 years old and my Mother still refers to me as 'her baby'.
And treats my like I'm 12.
Like you.
:)
Omg, its heart wrenching isn't it? Watching your baby grow up from cuddles and cries to be held to "oh mom, not in front of my friends!" I guess independence evokes pride and nostalgia in a mothers heart. I'm glad you are enjoying that baby (cause that's what he'll always be).
yikes, my first born will be there come July...I'm so not ready!
nice post!
What a beautiful post!
Aww! Your baby! This is so sweet and so heart-breaking all at the same time. That pretty much sums up so many things about motherhood, doesn't it??
How did I miss this post? Happy Birthday to your baby and congrats to you, mama, on a dozen years of good parenting! So much to be proud of with a strong, happy, smart boy who still wants to spend time with his mom!
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