Onward and Upward Little Dog!

I still can't believe a year has passed since you entered the world. This time last year, we were just getting acquainted face to face after sharing my body for what I thought was a bit too long. After my initial shock to discover that you were a boy, not the little girl that I had been expecting, I realized just how right it feels to be a mother to two boys.
In such a short time you have grown from being a tiny helpless little newborn, to the robust and feisty walking machine you are today. Your sweet nature melts my heart, as do your spontaneous hugs and wet kisses.
Any doubts I had about being able to love another child with the same ferocity that I feel for your brother have been completely wiped away. You are similar and at the same time so unique, I can't compare how I love you two. You are each such individuals and I love you both more than I can even express in words. Thinking back, I can't even imagine how our lives were without you. You are essential to our family, integrated in our very core.
As I watch you speed along from infancy to toddlerhood, I feel a little ache, knowing that you are my last baby. But that ache is tempered by the excitement I feel each time you make a new discovery, or develop a new skill. Your thrill in each accomplishment is contagious.
I love getting to know you, and I look forward to continuing to see your own personality emerge. Thank you little dog, for being my sweet baby. I love you more than you will ever know. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!