Marlowe, yesterday you turned 1. (one!) Its hard to believe a year has passed by. At about seven forty-five tonight I thought about this time last year, when you arrived on this earth and our lives were changed forever. I wrote about your first six months last September and it feels in some ways like that was just yesterday. You were born with your strong and spirited personality and it has become my favorite thing about you. That and your cute Rod Stewart haircut…the one he wore in the “Do you think I’m sexy” video. You wake up every morning with a smile standing in your crib with a little bed head and a smile that shows your four bottom teeth. You make all kinds of noise at your brother trying to wake him up, usually an “eeeep!” is thrown in there. You are cuddly and so kissable and when Jack comes crawling towards us, you get a smile and shriek and crawl as fast as you can up into my arms, even if he isn’t chasing you. You love to be chased and tickled down the hallway. There is no torture worse than having your nose wiped or getting your diaper changed and you are a master escape artist if there is any threat of either. You are learning how to be gentile and try to show this on Jack and the dog although your coordination makes it a challenge. You still get in trouble a lot for smacking and Jack has three bite marks on him. I have seen you shake your head from side to side with your mouth open going for him like a puppy, I think you get excited and think its playful but don’t have the ability to bite gently. I suppose its our fault as we play with you this way, biting your fingers or toes lightly. You have been a fighter since you were born and stand your ground and don’t ever hold back when you want something. You are tough, but so pretty and tough. I am so glad I have a tough girl. You are so into movement and dance when you hear music, even when the dog squeaks her toy in any rhythm. You bop up and down with a serous face. Your favorite toys are still any that make music (like my cell phone). I really think you will do something competitive that involves movement somehow. You are competitive with Jack although most of the time he just lets you win. You are so determined to walk and spend hours pushing around a big jug of coins we have like you were training for the strong man competition. It is fun to make you laugh by throwing you up in the air or wrestling with you, but you are the cutest when you do things as a joke with a smirk on your face. You shake your head no when you are told “no” looking very serious about it. You are going to be the comedian in the family. You already have a wit about you which makes you seem so much older than one. At night we put you and your brother in your bouncers (your legs hang over the sides) with your bottles (not long for those) in front of the TV where you watch Play With Me Sesame. It is part of your bedtime ritual but will soon be replaced by water and bedtime books. You are always watching Ernie and Bert intensely and dance a little at your hips when any music comes on even while drinking in your bouncer. You are so pretty Marlowe, and everyone that sees you comments on this, your long lashes and rosebud lips…the irony in this is that you snore like a baby warthog. The pediatrician says that you will grow out of it, but I can just see the boys all being crushed out on you and you yawning prettily saying that you are tired and chhhooonkchggggguuugh! It has really been an amazing gift to have been able to spend this year with you and watch you grow. You are so new to this world but it also feels like you have always been here. I look forward to helping you find a voice that will allow you not to feel threatened so that you have to fight physically, I hope you will find power in those words. I also look forward to helping channel all of that crazy energy into something constructive and creative and not ever stifle you or hold you back. I hope the world is ready for a beautiful and strong woman like you will someday undoubtedly be. This year of being one will be so much fun for you. There is so much to explore and discover. And it will be so wonderful to watch you learn names of things and learn how things work. You are so loved, your Dad and I are amazed at how lucky we are to have you. For your birthday you had some chocolate cupcake, but you will eat anything really..food is not your passion or aversion. We all clapped when we blew out the candle for you, I made a wish for you asking for lots of fun and lots of music to dance to this year. You got some cool presents but you loved your egg shaped music shaker most of all. Happy Birthday sweetheart.
