Dear Malachi,

Each and every day I love you more. Even when you are tired and fussy because you woke up early from your nap, I just have to look at you through my frustration and smile. You have been on this earth for 15 months. Wow! It sounds like such a short time to others, but I feel like we have already taken several adventures together. Friday, your Daddy and I went out for our monthly date night. I never even saw you that day. You were sleeping when I left for work and sleeping when I got home from work. It didn't seem to phase you. Your grandparents, however, got to reap the joy of watching you eat and play while we were out. It thrills me to know that you are safe and comfortable when you are with your extended family.

The first nine months of your life, you grew in body. And, boy, did you grow quickly, continually topping the charts. After that, you stopped growing in body, and the mind took over. The past six months have proved to be the biggest change in your abilities and attitudes. You have always been a pretty laid back kid. You go with the flow of our lives. This is so reassuring since we are busy being pastors and many other roles. I love your smile. It comes out often. I love to watch you play with your Daddy. You give him the biggest laughs. No one else, not even Mommy, can get the laughs and giggles that your Dad can. You can easily climb the steps now and like to show off that skill. You are being Mr. Independent when walking. You rarely will hold someone's hand to lead you in the right direction. That's ok. You are building those skills needed to be a leader, but you still love being held. Some nights you let me rock you like a baby. You will cuddle me closely and look at me with such adoring eyes. I know that you won't always look at me that way, but I cherish each moment now and look forward to more time with you.

I look forward to the end of each weekday when I can come home and be with you. Playing is the name of your game, and right now your toys are not number one on the list. The TV buttons, kitchen cabinets, and bathroom drawers top the chart. We are now preparing to make everything as child proof as possible. Just 4 measley months ago you started crawling. 3 months ago you started walking. Now, you seldom crawl and love to walk. You have started doing what I like to call your "happy dance," where you sort of run in place when you are super happy. You just got 3 molars and have the 4th on the way. Those teeth were a cake walk compared to the four front teeth that emerged in your mouth in July.

Malachi, you still babble on and on. You don't really say any words yet, but you are understanding most of the concepts. Your Daddy and I are trying hard to work on your labeling skills. I think you have some comprehension of what your head, mouth, and nose are when asked. You definitely know names like grandma, grandpa, grammy, mommy, daddy, and Uncle David. You know what milk, grapes, and raisins mean for sure.

I sure do miss you during the week and especially on those days like Friday where I don't see you at all, but I am very glad that you can be happy with the other people that you love and love you back. Not having a date night with your Daddy for a year was difficult, but now I see the importance of spending quality time with you, and that it should also be important to you that I spend time alone with your Daddy. One of the many presents that we will try to give you is a good, Godly marriage example. We are Christ's bride, and He loves us more than any words could express. I know that you won't be able to grasp that concept for awhile, but I pray that you will begin to see the love of Christ through us. Thank you for being the precious gift from God that you are. I can't tell God enough how grateful I am for giving us you, Malachi. You are a true blessing. Many changes are coming your way. Don't ever forget that we love you. We won't ever love you less because of your brother or sisters. We will love you all (no matter how many there are). I love you, Malachi James!

Mommy