1 !!!!!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Lukas! Yes, it was one whole year ago that our son first made his appearance in this world. At exactly 12:07 p.m. Pacific time 366 days ago (remember that Leap Year!) Luke ended his long journey to the light of day, with one final exhausted push from Mrs. LIAYF after enduring a marathon 80 hour labor.

We joked at time that we hoped the labor wasn't an indicator of the struggles to come. We have had struggles, indeed, but Lukas has been nothing pure joy for us ever since that rainy northwest June day he came into our lives. His development, chronologically, was near 10 months but his journey to becoming our son spanned five years. We have often said to each other over the past year that our long battle with infertility, while painful for sure, was necessary so that this little boy would be the one who came into our lives. Apparently Lukas was the one for us, and we for him, so the wait was well worth it.

I can not even begin to properly articulate what our son has meant to Mrs. LIAYF and I. Where there was a void there is no more. Where there was pain and sorrow, there is now joy and laughter. Where there was drudgery, there is now anticipation and happiness. Yes, we are truly the luckiest of parents to have been given this gift.

Lukas has evolved over the last year from a tiny infant to a full-fledged little boy - walking, "talking" and laughing. We wanted to do something fun for his birthday, with just him and his parents, so we plan to go to the zoo. Lukas has had only one previous zoo visit, in the middle of December when it was so cold that the animals stayed inside to keep warm! This trip promises to be much better as the weather will be in the upper 70's with lots of sunshine! Plus, Lukas loves his stuffed monkey, so we hope to see lots of different varieties of monkeys today.

Sunday will be the birthday party proper with many friends and family visiting. Many of those attending know how long we tried to have a child, and know just how wonderful this milestone is for us. Since we are lucky enough to be able to provide everything Lukas needs, and because he also won't remember gifts at this age, we have asked attendees to bring packages of diapers for Westside Baby - a non-profit that helps out families in need. There's plenty of loving families with babies and small children who just need a little help, and we are glad we can do this small part.

Thank you, Lukas, for choosing us to be your family. I'm sure you won't remember your first birthday, but your mom and dad are over the moon! A great culmination to a terrific year!