Happy Birthday Landon!

One year ago at this moment I was holding my tiny newborn son. It's crazy to think that he's now officially a year old. Where did the time go? It's been a whirlwind of a year full of the highest highs ever and some difficult low points as well. All in all, we survived, and we're up for another year - really many more to come.

It's bittersweet. I miss my cuddly baby that relied on me for everything. I miss the toothless grin and the toes that would curl around my finger. I miss his little bald head and that newborn baby smell. I miss being home with him all day and not having to worry about anything else going on in the world but our little family of three. Yet at the same time I love that he's able to feed himself right now, I love his blond hair that's grown in perfectly, I love the toothy smile he flashes when he sees me coming. I love the big open mouth slobbery kisses and the way he rests his head on my shoulder giving me a little hug. I love seeing him so excited to see me when I pick him up from daycare and the way he sprint crawls across the room to get to me. I love his chitter chatter and the way he says Mama! I also look forward to the years to come. Seeing him grow up and becoming his own person, seeing his personality develop and that sparkle in his eye. I look forward to teaching him how to walk and ride a bike and pump on the swings. I look forward to finding out more about this little creature, this being that we created out of love.

I've learned so much this past year, it's crazy. I've learned...

That time does not stand still no matter how much you want it to.
That you must treasure each moment.
To never say never.
That miracles do happen.
That no matter how difficult things may be I can keep going.
That love at first sight really does exist.
That I can function on very little sleep.
That I have the perfect husband for me.
That my family and friends have an immeasurable value.
That a baby is far more entertaining than TV.
That it's okay to ask for help.
That it's even more okay to accept help.
To say what I mean.
To mean what I say.
That laundry will still be there later.
That a lived in house is better than a clean one.
That for being so little babies sure do come with a whole bunch of stuff.
That sometimes blessings are disguised.
That each and every day of life is a blessing.

Happy Birthday my sweet, amazing, wonderful, independent, handsome, smiley, giggly, silly, cuddly, fabulous, miraculous baby boy. You will always be mommy's baby boy, no matter how big or how old you get. I love you.

One year ago tomorrow

One year ago tomorrow we entered the hospital as two, and a week later left as three. It's crazy to think that a year has flown by and my itty bitty baby that was once inside a protruding belly was just about to be born. Exactly one year ago at this moment I do believe all the wonderful women in my life were bustling about trying like crazy to get everything ready for a baby to come home. We thought we'd have a couple more weeks, but when the doctor said we'd be going in on June 8th to get induced things picked up into high gear. It didn't help matters with me being on bedrest, talk about a frustrated momma!

I could not have prepared myself for this last year; it's been one of the most rewarding, challenging, joyous, hard, wonderful, crazy, one-of-a-kind years I'll ever have. The fact of the matter is, nothing prepares you to be a mommy. Sometimes I find myslef drifting back to the days when Landon wasn't around. Sure, I was rested and could get a ton of errands done in a couple of hours; life didn't revolve around nap and feeding times, but I'll take this mommy stuff over all that any day of the week. This precious being knows who I am, loves to snuggle me, laughs at my goofy faces, comes straight to me for comfort, and is most definitely wrapped around my finger.

What a difference a year makes.