Dear Baby,

Yesterday was your seven-month birthday.  At the risk of sounding like a repetitive old lady, WOW! You sure are growing fast!  And you are keeping your mama on my toes - I can't leave you alone for a second, you've become so adept at rolling to wherever you want to go and this irresponsible mama of yours STILL hasn't baby proofed the house. 

Little man, I've been thinking a lot lately about what you'll be like as a grown-up man.  I know there are some traits that may stick with you from infancy on (will you still hate to have anyone touch your nose?) and there are some traits that will manifest themselves later on.  I know there are some that your daddy and I will hopefully instill in you and some that will make their way into your personality whether we like it or not!  But here are some of my dreams for you:

I want you to be kind, loving, tolerant of other people's beliefs and ideals, intelligent, well-mannered, and respectful.  I want you to be the type of man who stops to helps someone stranded on the side of the road, who stands up for someone being bullied. I want you to take responsibility for your actions and lead by example to others.

I don't care if you become the President of the United States, or a Nobel Prize winner, or a gas station attendent.  Because what you do isn't as important as who you are.  Those every day choices, the little ones that don't seem to matter much in the great scheme of things - those are the ones that really make a man.  Those are the choices that will make your daddy and me proud of who you've become.

I love you so much, my darling boy.  And every day I love you just a little bit more.  Happy seven-month birthday!

Love, Mama