ONE whole Year

 

Oakley Andrew Osborne entered our world, hearts, and lives on 10-11-12…which means he was one on Friday, 10-11-13. We heralded his birthday with a balloon, banana bread, and the birthday song. He enjoyed the 4 of us smiling, singing, and staring at him. He is into clapping so our birthday antics were graciously applauded. He went out to Sporting Park for Uncle Adam’s birthday tailgate and then spent his birthday night on his first sleepover with GG and Poppy while the rest of us went to a wedding far away for our dear friend Lauren.

Oakley is a gift and the whole last year has been one of the best because of his presence in it. Oakley went a lot of places as a little tiny human and is gregarious with any level of acquaintance- close family members invoke outstretched arms, distant strangers receive full-face smiles as a greeting.

From the very beginning, Oakley was an alert and strong baby. Oaks has always kicked his legs with big, big kicks, and most often, moves all his limbs at once, with strong, fierce even, movements and a yell as well.

His first attentions were captured by his siblings and he loved following them as soon as he could focus his eyes, and now, with his crawl (one knee and one leg up- like Eli!) Eli jumps over him and has a lot of tolerance for how Oakley takes apart his Lego creations. Andi couldn’t snuggle Oaks enough as a baby and was the other part of our fearsome threesome last year. Andi helped me with Oakley on her own initiative and we miss her during school days this year but celebrate her continued motivation to play with and love on him.

Oakley went on a work overnight with me at 6 weeks and to Colorado for Thanksgiving as a 2 month old. We went to Colorado for March’s Spring Break where I left him for 3 whole days with Maama while I went to a training. Heather’s wedding took us to California in May when Oakley was 7 months old and a trooper through 4 plane flights. 3 weeks after California we went to Quinton and Erica’s wedding in Chicago and 3 weeks after that, Castaway. We went to Colorado for Labor Day after camping in early August. Oakley went to a late April Royal’s game, a May San Francisco Giants game, and a September Rockies game.

Oakley joined the pace and plans of our life and added to them. In a new place with new people, Oakley is ready to love and engage indiscriminately. He seems to love life, appreciate adventure, and chooses being with people.

He reads the atmosphere of games, parties, or Young Life clubs- cheering, clapping, or “singing” enthusiastically and appropriately! Oakley speaks with deep grunts, happy squeals, and consonant repetitions of “mah”, “dah”, “bah” and his first word, “Night-Night”. Oakley is very sweet, busy, boisterous, now opinionated, fast, happy, contented, distract-able  intense, industrious, aware, social, joyful, talkative, strong, often snuggly, always wiggly, mostly messy, and always ours.

Thank you Oakley for the smiles, the way you feel joy with your whole face, hug with your whole arms and head, and now “crawl-run” to us when you want to feel or give love.

Thank you Oakley for giving me the chance to be a mom all over again at an older age. I feel like I’ve been more relaxed and have valued the small, powerful moments of motherhood for all of my kids a little bit more. Thank you for letting me work and be your Mommy and for forgiving me when I’ve made mistakes already.

You’ve grown our family into 5 and expanded the capacity of kids who can fit and sleep in one small room to 3! We wanted you, waited for you, welcomed you, and now enjoy and treasure you. We can’t wait to see you become more and more of who you are, because who you are so far, is wonderful.

Happy birthday Boo. We celebrate all ONE of YOU!