to trey from dad

as trey's 1st birthday came around michael decided to write him a letter. words cannot describe the way, you, Trey, have changed us...all for the better. our life is rich because of you.

Letter to Trey

Trey,

Congratulations, you made it through your first year! It was a learning process for all involved, including your Mom and Dad. You’ll be shocked to know we really had no idea what we were doing, but things seem to have gone well so far with surprisingly few mishaps.

It is amazing how quickly your first year with us went by – it seems like forever ago that you were a newborn. You are a busy little guy now. You started walking pretty early on at around nine months. By the time your birthday rolled around, you were fully mobile. No cabinet door or drawer is safe – you want to explore everything!

We have had a lot of fun watching you grow and develop. They say kids grow up quickly, but things are really flying by. You seem to be fascinated by animals, something probably sparked by your love of Lola (our Pug). Your Mom and I think you might grow up to be a veterinarian. You also love your wagon rides. We load you up and pull you up and down our street. You check out everything, paying particular attention to passing dogs and birds that happen to fly by. One of your favorite spots to stop at is across the street at the Elementary. They have a sculpture of a cow, which you refer to as la vaca (seems to have been a favorite spot for you and Dilma – one of your “executive assistants”).

You have started eating a lot of different things. Strawberries and bananas seem to be at the top of your list. Daddy introduced you to Mexican food at around nine months. A love of rice and refried beans is something we both seem to share. You also love your “baba” and that is probably going to be a difficult affair to end!

You have turned out to be a cute little guy (how could you not), looking a lot like your Dad did when he was a baby. Your personality is a lot like your Mom’s – fun loving, caring and a strong (and vocal) sense of what you like and don’t like. We aren’t sure where your blond hair came from though – I bet it will darken over time.

Mom and Dad’s life has changed a lot sense you came into our world – all for the better. We go to bed not long after you do, with Dad often snoring by 10:00pm. We wake up with you as well…would be nice if you decided to sleep in just a little bit on the weekend. Daddy gets you up in the morning and sings the “Good Morning Mr. Trey” song to you. Daddy also tries to be home in time to see you before bed and put you to sleep. You like it when Daddy sings the “Daddy Loves You” song as you go to bed.

In addition to changing our sleep patterns, you have also changed our priorities. We are all about our little man. Your Mom and I want to be great parents and create a great life for you. Daddy works a lot, but tries to get home earlier now during the week and we spend the entire weekend hanging out with you. We are starting to think about schools for you now and want to make sure we find a place where you will be happy and have the opportunity to be successful. You have made me more compassionate toward others – I think about how I would want others to treat my son in different situations.

My dad passed away when I was five. I think about that a lot in terms of the time I want to spend with you and the experiences I want us to have as a family. I hope I have a long and happy life with your Mom, yourself and whatever brothers or sisters you may have, but I don’t take that for granted and I will truly cherish our time together, however long that might be. Your Mom often tells me life and relationships are about “the little things”. I want to make sure we have plenty of time for and share together the little things…donuts on Saturday mornings, dropping you off at school, being involved in the things you become passionate about. I hope you hold me to that.

We love you more than you will know for some time…until you have your own children and experience for yourself the type of love we have for you. We would do or sacrifice anything for your benefit. Your Mom and I want you to be happy and have as many or more opportunities than we have had in our life so far. As you get older, we hope you remember that. I’m sure we will have bumps along the way where we don’t see eye-to-eye, but just remember that we are looking out for you and have your best interest in mind. We would do anything for you and will love you unconditionally.

Love,

Your Dad and Mom