#1,794 Walker’s First Birthday.

Today we celebrated John Walker’s first birthday!

On November 14 last year, he was born in a hospital while Clark and Amanda were sitting nervously in the waiting room—ready to meet their son for the first time. We all received the photo text of him, squirming and brand new, just a few minutes after he was born and it changed us all, directed our hopes and prayers and dreams onto this tiny person we had all been praying for for so long. I couldn’t talk about it then, even though it’s the only thing I wanted to tell anyone. This week he turned one—and it really does feel like all that happened just a couple weeks ago.

He’s the most serious 1 year old I’ve ever met, always very focused on the people around him, on listening and watching.

He’s got the sweetest grin that he saves for the things that he really loves (he doesn’t just dole them out to everything and everyone—but his mama and daddy get one every time).

He’s strong as a little bull when he decides he would like to explore something—he goes charging into it without fear. He lets anyone hold him for as long as they’d like, without fuss.

He always smells faintly of Coppertone sunscreen. He sweetly holds my fingers when I reach for him and he makes a moony smile when I sing to him. What I’m saying is, he’s the most wonderful, solid, sweet and good boy.

And I am so very lucky to be his aunt and godmother. This and every thanksgiving for the rest of our lives, I know our family will never forget how thankful we are for adoption.