for my baby on his first birthday

my sweet brighton edward,

today is your first birthday. words seem too simple to express my love for you. your funny little jabbering noises are the first sounds i hear every morning, and they are my favorite. you always start my day off right. you lay between devin and i giggling with your whole body occasionally snorting because you think you are so funny (you got that from your momma). but you are so funny! your laugh is so endearing. 

even before you were born, i have felt this special bond with you. i've tried to thank you in words so many times since you came to our little family for what you did for me. remember, you saved my life? i was only 14 weeks along with you and i had to have emergency surgery. they said they would never had detected all of these problems if i wasn't pregnant and i was literally hours away from dying. the doctor even told me, "it's a miracle. your baby saved your life." 

as a parent, you will understand the feeling of needing to protect your own. it's just a humbling feeling of complete awe when your unborn child is protecting you. i don't think it is a coincidence in the least. i know you vouched to save me and i will never be able to repay the debt. 

you are such a sweet, gentle spirit. i was positive you were a girl because you were so soft and sweet while i was pregnant with you. by default of being a woodruff, you have to be a boy though, and man alive am i glad you are a boy! you are the greatest gift and friend to your brother. he adores you and it is  the sweetest treasure as a mother to watch the two of you together. whenever crew is in time out, which is a lot these days, you always find your way over to him and wait with him until his time is up. 

brighton, your name is so fitting for you because you are such a bright light to our family. the last two years have been the hardest for us and you joined us in all of that and brought us so much joy. i'm so glad we could name you after my grandpa too. he is one of my favorite people in this world. you have always been so clingy to me and not really friendly to the idea of outsiders but when my grandpa came to visit and you met him for the first time, you were glued to him for his whole visit. it was like you two knew each other and were meeting up again. 

i love you so sweet boy. you deserve the best of everything in this life. i hope i can be the mother you deserve. you have made our family complete and whole.

happy 1st birthday big boy.

love,

mom