Every grandmother thinks her grandbabies are the smartest. But mine actually are. Olivia is absolutely remarkable, even though we are a whole country apart. And Derek amazes me daily.

Derek and Garry do this cute little interaction throughout the day. One of them makes a sound, like “La, la, la!” and the other one echoes it. They might be in different rooms, and one will call out, “Ba, ba, ba!” and the other echoes.

We Skype with Aunt Michele since she moved to Baton Rouge, and Derek always checks behind the computer to see if, just maybe, she is back there. He remembers things she taught him, like blowing kisses and sticking out his tongue, and he does them at the phone whenever she calls.

I feel so privileged to have been a part of every day of this little guy’s first year. Here’s to more!