One

One year ago tonight, we were up late in Mumbai, still adjusting to the time difference, still arguing about what our baby's middle name would be if he were a boy. Waiting for a phone call that didn't come until the next day, I stayed up late googling Indian names starting with a G while Adam slept. Gobi, Ganesh, and Ghandi did not make the cut; the next morning when we learned we had a baby boy, I slipped the original name we had chosen, Gabriel, into the middle name slot on his birth registry.

One year ago, we were blessed with the most extraordinary gift, Micah Gabriel. Every day he continues to amaze and delight us. The sound of his giggles, which are doled out sparingly, make us so happy. We'd do anything for them. The look in his eyes as he is trying to make sense of our words or actions is priceless, and his persistence as he learns new skills amazes us. This week has been sobering as we learned about serious health issues of a friend's two young children, and as we were stunned to hear that one of Adam's daycare classmates, born with serious health issues, had passed away. It made us realize that we can't take one moment of our son's healthy, happy path for granted.

This weekend we'll celebrate Micah's birthday, and our having made it through the first year of his life. It hasn't always been easy, and I've learned previously unknown strengths and skills (like how many things I can do with my non-dominant hand while holding a baby!) but I truly know that every minute has been worth it. We can't wait to see what's on his mind, what his dreams and talents are, and who we become as a result of being Micah's parents.