9:55 AM

Birth – 5 lbs. 1oz.

Now – around 23 lbs.

{let me add that Crews does not have a picture of a cupcake covered face.  He loved his cupcake so much that he gobbled it up so fast I had to take it away so he wouldn’t get sick.  Then he was mad as a hornet & I could not get a picture of him}

Sweet Crewsie Bug.  You’ve been my cuddle bug, thumb sucker, and fighter this year.  Your little heart murmur gave us a little scare at the beginning of your life, but I think it was just because you wanted some alone time with mom.  Boy have you become a Mamas’ boy!  Just tonight I had to ask Daddy to hold you because you were following me around the kitchen like a little puppy crying because you wanted me to hold you.  You like to be attached to me, and i do not take it for granted.  I even made a baby sling to carry you around in on nights like these.  All too soon, you will be running and exploring on your own.  

One of my favorite memories of this past year was when you were about 6 weeks old.  You had terrible reflux and would barf your bottle up.  I was still nursing at the time, and I just scooped you up and brought you into bed with me.  I had somebody else feed your brothers, but we had the most special afternoon snuggling and cuddling.  And guess what, you didn’t have any other problems that day?!  You just needed some cuddly time.  It is sweet because there are still days when you are fussy and all you need is to be picked up and cuddled by me – with a blankie.  I will always treasure that day, and hope that you still have some cuddling left in you!  

I pray that you will become a tender warrior.  Your name means cross.  I hope that you will come to know what Jesus did for you on the cross.  Why an *empty* cross is the symbol to eternal life in the future & ABUNDANT life now!  You have a soft spot in your heart for your family, and I pray that you will allow the Lord to work in your heart to spill out all of that tenderness on to other people.  Your heart doctor told me when you were about 3 months old that your heart just played music when it beat.  My mind can’t help but wonder what will come of that.  In the future, if you can’t carry a tune, we will look back at this one day & just laugh at how wrong we were.  If that ends up being true, I wouldn’t be surprised at all!

I love you,

Mommy