Happy Birthday Jonas!! 1 Year Old

Dear sweet baby boy,
Before you were born, I never had a dream about you and I could never imagine what you would look like. You were too perfect to even dream about. Now, here we are and you are a year old! I can clearly picture the day that I was waiting in the hospital for you to come. I remember you cried and as soon as you heard my voice you stopped and looked for me. You came to this life knowing the challenges you would have to face and I hope you knew that I would always be by your side.
Jonas no words can describe how much I love you! You have taught me more about myself, about life, about the gospel in one year than I have ever known. Things that I probably would never have known if it weren't for you. I love to wake you up in the morning with your music and see the smile spread across your face. How you will play with my hair or tap my face while we are watching our movies. Or how you let me play with your hitchhikers thumb in the car. You are my life! I will always be able to dream about you my perfect little angel. Your mommy loves you!! Happy Birthday!


Jonas, you are my best buddy. There is no combination of words that I could write that would accurately explain how much I love you. There are certainly sad times when I think of the boy I wished for before you were born; times when I see a soccer field, a little boy stomping in a puddle or thoughts of sports and being outdoors. Thoughts of what could of been are a waste of time and I am sorry for letting them enter my mind. Now that I know you, despite your physical limits, you have enhanced my understanding of what life is about. You have taught me to appreciate the moments I spend with you as well as the moments I spend away from you. You have improved my limited ideas of what a boy should do or be in this life. In twelve short months, I feel as if you have blessed and influenced more lives than I have in all my twenty six years. I get the feeling that you know or understand more than I do about life. You get this look in your eyes that expresses wisdom, knowledge and experience beyond my own. Most importantly you have increased my faith in Jesus Christ and his role in our lives to overcome our weaknesses, whether they by physical or spiritual. This gift alone is something that I can never repay to you. Thank you. I have never known a more mild mannered child in my life. Thank you for your patience with me as I struggle to be the dad and husband to your mommy that I should be. I am grateful for your smiles, your love of music, those beautiful eyes, gripping my finger, your love of water, your effort to talk, and your love of Disney and all that comes with it (movies, music and the happiest place on earth) Jonas, when I think about all these things and everything else in my head that I just can't seem to write, I cannot recall anymore that boy I wished for before you were born. Thank you for overcoming everyone's expectations and making it this far. Please keep it up for as long as you can. I love you and wish you a very happy birthday. Love your daddy.