Happy First Birthday Sami Skye

Today we celebrate you. When we first laid eyes on your photo, our minds stunned at the thought of God giving us a tiny baby, you were indeed tiny. Too tiny. Now you make Mommy’s arms tired. Your pants and sleeves are always too short. We celebrate your crazy dancing, arms gesturing and hands fluttering as you sway. Your squeals of delight when you play with Ebby. Your great love for your baba and all things edible (and various inedible things as well), and your snooty face if the texture isn’t to your liking. Your endless eyebrow expressions. Your birdie profile.  Your adult size clapping, often in rhythm with the music. Your singing. Your love for being swaddled, and how you lay in your little cocoon and fake sleep for great lengths of time. Your attachment to your sheepie blanket. Your love for giving affection and your smacking kissy face anytime we come close to you. Your great desire to talk, saying or at least attempting many words (Baba, all done, hi, button, thank you, Bebby, Dada, Papaw, Ok…).  Your rapid crawling and excited breathing when you hear your bottle being made. Your four pearly whites. Your cuddles. Your cuteness that gets me every time. 

 

Today we thank God for the gift of you. Your smart, mischievous spunk is sure to bring lots of challenging moments, but also so many moments of laughter and delight.  You have no lack for personality or attitude, and opinion that I did not know was even possible for a baby to possess. God has been so faithful and kind to us in hearing our cries for comfort for your heart and strength for our hearts as we walked through so many hard, tear-filled days. I am so thankful for the great joy and delight we have found in each other recently as God gently works His redemption in each one of us and molds us into the family He has designed. 

Today we reflect with gratitude on  Momma Addey, the woman who brought you into the world. We honor her memory and give thanks for her gift.

Today I pray this for you, over this year, over your future: that God would give you a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that you would be called an oak of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. {from Isaiah 61}

We love you Sami Skye, and look forward to many more birthdays celebrating you.