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liammalik Romeo and Storm,
Wow! One year with you. 365 of my very best days. As I sit here writing, I can hear the hum of your noise machine on the monitor in front of me. The sound of the ocean has lulled you to sleep since the very night we brought you home. Crashing waves will inevitably make me think of you forever now, and I'm okay with that. 
For 52 weeks, I've been your mum, but our story began a long time ago. Long before I held you in my arms, you grew in my heart. I longed for the day I'd meet you; the day I'd hear a tiny voices call me 'Mummy.' You were the answer to many, many prayers – the brightest light in one of my darkest hours, and I am so proud to be your mum.
Though I know we have a lifetime of memories left to make, I can't help but cry at the thought of your first year becoming just that – a memory. Your first breaths, your gummy smiles, the rise and fall of your chest beneath your swaddle; all things that have already become fond memories.
I love everything about you now and I wish, with all my heart, I could just stop time if only for a little while. I love the way you crawl over to lay your head on my shoulder, the way you press your warm little cheeks against mine when you wake up, and how you light up when your daddy walks in the room. The way you point inquisitively at every picture in a book and look up to me as if to ask, "What's that?"
But, as we close the chapter on your first year, I feel sad and excited, nostalgic, accomplished, and weepy. I feel every emotion. On one hand, we celebrate surviving our first year as parents. We kept TWO babies alive and well. You're hitting every developmental milestone with ease and soaking up information like sponges. On the other hand, you're growing up, becoming more independent, and looking less like babies and more like toddlers – and I'm not okay with that. Time is a thief, and no matter how bad I want to hold on for just a moment longer, I'm forced to say farewell to our first year together and add it to our vast collection of memories.
I'll never forget the way you made us a family. From the moment we laid eyes on you my precious little boys, our lives have felt whole. You filled a void we never knew existed. I'll never forget the way you made the bond between your daddy and I even stronger than we knew was possible. What a good and perfect gift we were given! You two are our greatest accomplishment, our biggest adventure, and our absolute joy.
Thank you for making me a Mummy. You've given my life so much meaning and given me a clear purpose in this world. 'Mum' is the most important title I will ever be given and I promise to be the best one I can be. You've taught me to slow down – to enjoy the here and now, embrace each day and love without condition. I can only hope to teach you such important life lessons.
As your first year fades into your second, my wish for you is this: may you always be brave and kind, unafraid to stand up for what you believe in. May you face adversity with a smile and spread joy wherever you go. And may you never ever forget that your mummy will always be a soft place to fall when the going gets rough.
I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living my babies you'll be.

Love,
Mummy 💙

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