Book for Me

When I was little, one of my favorite things to do was go through my baby book and read all the randomisms my mother had jotted down. I liked knowing what I was like as a baby. I liked hearing what we did for holidays, where we went, who we spent time with, what I liked and didn't like. I liked seeing my first scribbles with crayon, and how my doctor visits went. Isn't it funny how we are all taught to be humble and down to earth, but let's face it, one of the best things to do is read an entire book about you- written by the one person who basically thinks the world of you.

I knew if and when I had a baby it would be my own personal goal to write every moment of that kid's life down. It sounds exaggerated, doesn't it? But it's what I wanted. I wanted my baby to know how much we loved him, from moment one.

The first year of Monkey's life is pretty well recorded. I have every doctor visit and its outcome, I have a play by play of each month of his life, I've even used up every inch of the inside cover writing random stories of funny things he's done. I have pictures showing his changes month to month, and in the back there are two sealed envelopes- one from me and one from his daddy- that he can someday open and read and hopefully be reminded of how special he is to us.

Now, as we get closer to Monkey's second birthday, I realize that the baby book has been a bit neglected. In my slight defense, the book itself is set up for more detail for the first year of life, and then just a page each for every year after that (for birthdays). Still...I have been trying to keep writing little stories of him. I want him to know how amazing he is, even at such a young age. And how amazed by him I always will be.

Isn't it funny how pure love can be? My love for Monkey is just that. Other loves- boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, friends even- are always tainted with something. With kids, love is just love. It's as simple and as easy as that. There's nothing complicated about it. It really can open your eyes.

Soon, Monkey will be able to read and look at his baby book on his own (I'm still a bit protective of it- well, I worked hard on it!). And I hope he enjoys it. I hope he smiles at it and cherishes it and that it reminds him of where he came from- wherever he ends up going in this crazy thing called life.