Today. THIS boy is one.

When my sister had Tate, I was working at my previous wretched job. It was the morning of September 16, 2015 and my mom and I had been Facetiming nonstop, dying for updates of the little gentleman coming out of Meg’s nethers. She was in the hospital room with only the nurses, a doctor, and Ben so none of us had any clue how she was doing. But then we heard a baby cry!! Nan took me (on the iPad) into the hospital room with her, and both of us laid eyes on the tiny baby Megan was holding at the very same time. My mom wanted to hang up with me so she could really absorb the moment, but I threatened her life, so she kept FT rollin. Megan was calm as a cucumber, just holding her new baby like a G. I said, “So Meg, what’s his name?” She looked up at me and replied,   “I think it’s Tate”.

Oh my God you guys, I am literally tearing up writing this. GET IT TOGETHER NATALIE.

So, Tate. My darling boy. This is for you.

From the second your Mom uttered your sweet name, I was in love. You brought everyone so much instant, powerful and overwhelming happiness in that moment and it hasn’t ended.   How can one tiny person do that to a full-ass-grown woman of 32?

You came at a time in my life when things were pretty rough. I was a mess… a MESS. I was going through something horrid while Meg was pregnant with you. One person was exiting my life, and somehow you entered when I needed it most. I realize how selfish this sounds…”Thanks for being born Tate! You sure helped your Auntie through her life falling apart!”. But you kinda did. You saved the day with you’re arrival into this world and it was easily the best gift anyone could have given me. Other than mayyyybe a quilted Chanel purse… just kidding buddy :).

So then I held you for the first time a week later.

Nan and I attempted to give you your first bath and you hated life. And us.  I grabbed you, soaking wet, from the tiny baby tub and wrapped you in my arms while you calmed down. I am SO grateful to Meg for letting me have that little moment with you, because I felt your little heart beating and I was so happy to be your auntie.

Then you started to smile. And MY GOD. Your smile, Tate. It changes lives. It is infectious. In the beginning, you opened your mouth SO wide when you smiled. It was like you were trying to shout (and sometimes you did!).

Then, you progressed into a chin-raising-closed-mouth varietal (a Danielson original) and (like a true Danielson) you always resembled your Grandpa Gary to me.

The first time you successfully took a bottle was from me! Did you know that? Megan and Grandma had left the room and you gulped down an entire 3 oz. bottle. I will always and forever remember how proud I felt to have done that for you.

Then you ate rice cereal for the first time and you took to carbs as I knew you would.

You’ve been such a sport with us setting you in cute places and we LOVE putting you in fun little outfits made for both boys AND girls. Because, my dear boy, you can dress HOWEVER you want to..except turtlenecks..auntie don’t like turtlenecks..

You’ve also been such a solid shopping partner since day one. Persevering through the obnoxious techno music at H&M, Black Friday at Macy’s and OF COURSE thousands of trips to Goodwill.

When you became a mobile human, I nearly keeled over. True to baby fashion, it started with the rollover, then downward facing dog (below) and then you were on all fours for a bit and then you could only back up, and then you figured out how to go forward! And THEN you pulled yourself up onto things. Dear lord, why couldn’t you stay the little angel baby that stayed where we put him?

You’ve also been a little MF’er to try to get to eat and sleep! But I get it Tate, baby food is disgusting. I can’t wait to give you cotton candy and sour patch kids.

You’ve done SO many fun things in your first year, including but not limited to:

Getting hit by the label maker:

Experiencing the cultural and culinary delights of the food court at Columbia Center Mall:

 Being more obsessed with your walker than Kanye is with Kanye:

Getting baptized!

 Letting your Auntie belly laugh at your little Snapchat filter faces:

And letting me take selfies with you, when you clearly didn’t want to.

I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store for you. Maybe your Mommy will finally let me give you some fierce brows or put just a TINY bit of mascara on you. Maybe you’ll walk! Maybe you’ll run! Maybe you’ll stay all day in the sun!

But seriously.

You mean the world to me.

I couldn’t love anyone more.

My sweet little man Tate ♥