happy 1st birthday, shepherd!

sheppy, shepski, shep the repski,

you are one year old today.

you are the sweetest little boy we've ever known.

and you're ours.

you are peaceful & sensitive, 

but also the first to start wrestling matches.

you love cuddles & kisses, but you're also a rowdy boy,

shrieking, making car & airplane noises.

you love drums, cords, buttons,

and your sister heron.

you are good with your hands, at figuring things out.

you are happy, content.

people meet you & ask, "is he always this happy?"

and you are.

(well, you can be pretty serious, but joyful you are)

you love music.

you dance (bouncing up & down on your knees), face aglow.

you try to sing along when i sing you lullabies.

you are crawling now, starting to wave,

and yesterday you said, "bye!" for the first time.

you know "mama" and "dada",

and i swear the other day when i said, "i love you"

as i kissed your face,

you said, "awu!" in return, 

and put your open mouth on my cheek.

you seem to have e.s.p.

when it comes to knowing when there's an opern door

to the bathroom, daddy's studio, or the attic stairs.

you make a crawl for it,

but pause to look behind you

just before you enter.

(that's your little conscience)

a year of knowing you, 

and we know you were aptly named.

we can already see your gentle spirit, 

your abundant love, your way with people.

(you are pastoral)

you make everyone you meet smile.

(you raise your eyebrows until they smile in return)

you are a joy-bringer, a light-bearer,

a little star of bethlehem.

happy birthday, shepherd zuri!

awu!

(reminisce with us by scrolling through these posts)