1. we are thankful...

...that you are a boy.

A little over a year ago, your Daddy and I found out we were going to have a son.

We were both surprised and not surprised. It was weird how real it made everything.

Until then I had been writing to you in a journal, but when I found out you were a boy, I stopped because I thought you would think it was weird. (Ha! Little did I know that I would soon abandon a private notebook for a public website! That was back when I had regard for your embarassment!)

Being the oldest son comes with a lot of responsibility. You will be able to be what neither Tom nor I were or had: a big brother. You will be the man of the house when Daddy goes out of town. You will look out for your little brothers and/or sisters. You will be our parenting guinea pig and complain when we aren't as strict with the other kids.

BUT, you will also be the only child to get us all to yourself. AND because we don't really know what we are doing as parents, you will probably get away with a little bit more. Subsequent children will likely not get as much attention for every milestone, let alone proper documentation. You will be the first one to drive and therefore first in line for whatever hand-me-down car there is to be had.

We love you so much and are so thankful that you are our son! I can't imagine life any other way!