My letter to Eli Henry

Eli,

You are one and I cannot believe it. You are such a sweet, strong, little boy. You just had surgery and came through it like a champ. Your strength truly astounds me. You definitely roll with the punches and keep a smile on your face. You have the sweetest dimples and you squeal when you laugh hard. It is adorable. You LOVE your baths and splash until I am soaked with water. You love your bottle and I dread having to take it from you in the next few months. You tend to dive right into things whether it be smiling at a stranger, swimming in a pool or climbing through a box you are "all in" all of the time. You have crazy hair. It is mainly growing on top and you are getting it cut this wknd. I will miss that tuft of hair and how soft it is. You love to play with your hair while you drink your bottle and when you are tired. You seem to like to make noises whether that means with your mouth or banging measuring cups on the floor. You were a sick baby and I still remember being afraid to touch you because of all the machines and your frailty at the time. We rarely received good news about you while you were in the NICU but since you've been home you have thrived. You have been checking specialists off of your list left and right and we are down to the Neurosurgeon now. I am so thankful that God let us keep you. You are such a beautiful picture of His grace. I appreciate each little moment of your life and your brothers because of you. Speaking of that brother of yours, you loved sleeping with him and when you came home and we put you in the crib you snuggled right up to him. We would put you further away from one another and come back to find you stuck together again like magnets. You never wanted a binky because you were content to suck on your brother's fingers, hair, arm, whatever was available. You loved your aquarium bouncer and would smile at the fish as if they were your friends which is typical because you already make friends easily. Your Daddy and I love you more than we can express and I don't think a day has gone by that you haven't made us smile with that magnetic smile of yours. I am so glad that God chose us to raise our little li-li (pronouced lie, lie). Thanks baby for who you've helped me and Daddy become.

Love you ,

Mommy