Happy Birthday, Zadie!

Today you are one.


You woke up with a smile on your face and a exclamation of wonder, eagerly pointing at the room around you. You walk around, mostly, leaving crawling for moments that need a speedburst.


You delight in birds, dogs, cats - any animal makes your face light up and your voice burst with excitement. You drive toy cars just like your big brother.

You won't really eat anything you can't feed yourself. You have eight teeth. Your mother often dresses you in pink, but you look good in anything.


You still eat books more than you read them, though the pendulum is swinging on that one. You wave 'hello' and 'bye-bye.' Your sunshiney personality literally stops people in their tracks to say hello.


You both take chances and still call for help when it's prudent.

You chew on shoes.

You make music with rattles and maracas. You are ticklish under your chin.


You do not like your diaper changed. You do not like taking medicine. You do like balloons.

You will fake cough if someone else is coughing. You mostly say "da-da-dad" and make little indescribable high-note babbles.


You gently 'pat-pat' animals and people.

You have very expressive eyebrows.


You dance to your mother's voice and your father's music. You flash your dimples for your brother's antics.


You pucker and purse your lips until they touch your nose. You do this on your own and in response to us doing it at you. You dance to cell phone ringtones. You love the tub.

We love you, Zadie. Eyes of blue; cheeks of peach. Smiles that melt our hearts.