A Letter Before Your First Birthday

Dear little R,
This time last year we were living with Bubbie because we had sold our house, and the house we were moving into fell through.  Labor came in the middle of the night, and when I tried waking up Bubbie to tell her we were on our way to the hospital she just groaned and rolled over. After your brother took so long to come, I think we all expected a long wait. But you were ready to be here with us! You came quickly, and soooo much easier than your big brother!

Watching RT come in and meet you was one of the best experiences of my life. His face was wide eyed and full of excitement. You brought joy to our family after what had been the worst years of our lives.
When you were only a few weeks old we moved into our (not the original) new house. Trying to demolish the kitchen, paint, and have a newborn at Bubbies was so hard on your dad and I. The new house has allowed us to spread out and all have our own spaces, but getting the house ready was a lot of work. Not to mention, everything I needed for a newborn was in storage for the first few weeks of your life! In this first year you have managed to crawl, walk, and climb all over the house. 
Juggling two kids at two different places while working full time added a whole new complexity to our lives and I'm forever thankful to everyone who helped take care of you and your brother. Covid hit and changed our whole dynamic. Because I was home I was able to see you take your first steps, and I was able to spend more time with you and your brother... but working from home while having you both was hard. Luckily my students were always been fine with seeing you guys in the background of our Zoom classes. The extra time that I've had with you guys have been amazing and irreplaceable and it's going to be even harder for me next year to go back to school in the fall. Working full time is important for our family and I try to be a good role model for you and RT, but It's really hard sometimes to leave you guys. I had thought that this year you'd be in school with your brother, but at this time we don't know what the next school year will bring. 
I'm so glad that you've come to join our family. I couldn't be any happier watching you and your brother play together. You love to eat all foods. You fight to find your way to splash in the toilet. You hate swim lessons. You open mouth kiss the dogs and mama. Your laugh can change my whole mood. I can't wait to continue you to see you change and grow. I love you! 
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