A letter to my first-born son, Hogan.
My sweet, handsome, little man. I can't begin to put into words the love I have for you. You will hear that same saying throughout your life when parents are referring to their own children, just know it's true. You will learn this one day if you ever have children of your own. I would start off by telling you about all of the countless, sleepless nights that your dad and I had while trying to get you to go to sleep, but the truth is, you love to sleep! You've fallen asleep on your own at nap time and bedtime since you were a couple of months old. There have only been a handful of those sleepless nights that I mentioned, but they are now cherished memories that neither of us will ever forget. I will tell you that one of those nights was the first night we brought you home from the hospital. You cried all night. All. Night. Your dad did most of the comforting and consoling of you, as I was still recovering from your birth, so it is him you need to thank for getting us through those first, few nights. (You really need to thank him.) Now, he may or may not have asked in a firm, but loving voice, "What is wrong with you?!," but now that is also a cherished memory and we still love to laugh about that first night at home with you as new parents. Just know that we consider ourselves pros now, as I'm sure most second-time parents do, so Watson may not have any of those funny memories like that. I'm sure he will have his moments though.
I think about these last sixteen months and cannot believe how you have changed from the 8.9 lb baby that we brought home to the 31 lb boy that loves to give sugars and hugs without even being asked. I'm proud of your dad and myself for making it through your first year without any disagreements about major things when it concerned you. He was and still is very supportive of every decision I make for you as your mother and I need to thank him more for that. You have the kind of dad that lots of kids dream of having. I'm not just saying that for you to read and forget, I'm telling you because you need to know how much your dad loves you.
Mama's Ear:
One of the first things I noticed about you when you were born is the tiny point you have on your right ear. It is subtle, but definitely there. It is sweet to me that you have that distinctive characteristic and I hope you know that I find it utterly adorable. I think about when you're older, much, much older, and you are dating. I'm sure someday, some other girl will fall in love with everything about you and she will love your pointy ear as much as I love it.
Love:
I hope you never grow out of your sweet, loving self. I hope you always want to give your dad and I a kiss and hug when we leave. I hope you always smile that huge smile when we get home and you see us for the first time. I hope you always love us the way you love us now. I can't tell you how great you make us feel when you show affection to us when we are least expecting it. Never lose that quality. You have one of the sweetest hearts I've ever seen and I hope you keep it forever. Never let the world change who you are.
Bogey:
I hope that you always have the compassion and love for animals that you show towards Bogey. He's been your best friend since day one and he will be your best friend until his doggy time on Earth is finished. You smile and laugh more for and at Bogey than you do for anyone else. You take care of him and give him treats better than anyone! He loves you more than anyone. He may run when you have a golf club in your hand, but we all do. You are dangerous with those clubs sometimes. Bogey will always be your first pet and I hope you never forget him, although I don't think that's possible.
We Love You:
Today is my due date. We will more than likely have baby Watson tomorrow. This is your last night as an only child. I hope your first sixteen months have been marvelous and I hope that you will love your new brother as soon as you see him. I love you both very much and can't wait to watch the two of you grow up together. It may take a while for you to get used to him, but it will happen. You will have fights and you will argue, that's what brothers do. He will break your Ninja Turtle when he gets mad at you, that's also what brothers do. He will sneak in your room in the middle of the night to sleep with you because he's scared of the monsters in his room. He will tell you all of his secrets. You will tell him all of yours. He will wear your new shirt before you get to wear it and you will get mad at him, you may even punch him. You are his big brother. You are the one that will have to threaten to "beat up" whoever is being mean to him. You will always take up for him. There will be plenty of laughter and tears between the two of you throughout the years, but you will always have a life-long best friend in each other. Always love him. You are both my little boys and I can't wait to watch the two of you grow up into fine, young men.
I love you, Hogan. You're my first-born son, the one that taught me how to be a mom, the one that showed me what loving a child of your own really feels like. You're my baby boy. I love you and having another baby will never change that, it just makes me love you more!
Love,
Mom
