Frith O’Steen

It’s August 22, 2004 - which means my wonderful, sweet, adorable, cute, brilliant, talented, loving, cuddly, curious, friendly, silly, amazing little boy is one year old. And I can’t believe it’s gone by so quickly. I really do feel like it was just yesterday when Sean brought this little bundle up to me to lay on my chest, and I got a chance to look into those big blue eyes for the first time and say hello to my son. There is no way to ever fully convey how I feel about being Decker’s mom. It has been a fantastic adventure and I learn something new every single day. He makes me laugh, he makes me sentimental to the point of sappy and beyond (ie: today’s post), he has taught me the new meaning of worry, he has taught me to take immense pleasure in little triumphs (I never knew I’d applaud so loudly for someone just because they rolled over on their own!), and he can make me melt just by thinking about his sweet little hugs or his soft little head tucked under my chin when he falls asleep. I have developed an affinity for kids’ songs, am working on mastering the fine art of  “toddler cuisine”, and eye every driver on the freeway around me suspiciously. I’ve seen that leaves in the wind can indeed be funny, and have discovered that you could pretty much get anything you want from me, just by complimenting my son!

What’s great about having Decker here isn’t just the time I spend with him as a duo (although I love those times! Well, maybe not the clean-up times. Or the diaper times. Or the won’t take a nap times. I’m not TOTALLY brain dead! A tad sappy on his birthday yes, but not insane. Motherhood is hard work! I miss that thing called sleep!). But what’s equally great is to see how he interacts with his daddy and our families. I knew Sean would be a great father. But it is the coolest thing in the world to see him and Decker, two buddies, horsing around together, or napping on the couch together, or reading a bedtime story together (I often eavesdrop downstairs over the baby monitor - I can’t resist). And it is so special to see how he interacts with our parents, and our sibs.  He’s a cuddlebug and reaches out for them, and I feel so lucky knowing how close everyone lives to us, and knowing that he’ll get to grow up knowing all of them so well. This kid is set! (And so are his parents! Hello, babysitters? heh).

So…before this gets so sugary sweet that a light mist would make it dissolve - let me just say this. It was a long, hard road to get Decker here. He took his time (2 weeks overdue!), put his mom through 30+ hours of labor, including an unplanned C-Section (and the aforementioned Bell’s Palsy). But…that all fades away as soon as I see his little ol’ face grinning at me. A couple of days’ pain for a lifetime of happiness? Totally and completely worth it.

Happy Birthday, little one. Happy Birthday, Decker Jacob O’Steen.