Twelve months

It seems that if our baby keeps growing at the rate he is now, he will be a man tomorrow. One minute he wants to be held and carried around, the next minute he is walking across the room babbling to himself and carrying a hammer from his play tool set. We are rejoicing in the gift of this boy's life and at the same time we are in shock over how quickly we have gone through this year.  

It is clear that Obadiah loves people, he freely gives kisses to mommy and daddy without being prompted. 

This is the look of a little boy who adores his father, who cries when he leaves the house in the morning and squeals when he comes home. This is the face that makes me want to cry hard, happy tears to know that this little boy already wants to be just like his daddy. 

Each day Obadiah is gaining more confidence in his walking, taking new risks and exploring longer distances. 

He loves to laugh and smile, and he usually does both very easily. 

This boy seems to understand more and more words each week. He can get frustrated when he isn't able to communicate what he wants. Singing songs and reading books continue to be some of his favorite things. Being outside is what he prefers. He is fun loving but can be quite cautious. He is not afraid to let you know how he is feeling about something. 

This last year has been hard; learning how much more patience I need in my life has not been fun or easy. This last year has been one of the greatest years of our lives. The grace that Yahweh has lavished on us has been made apparent again and again. The smiles and belly laughs and kisses and snuggles have brought a joy to our hearts that we did know about before Obadiah. We continue to praise Yahweh, for every good gift comes from him.