birthday boy

today is my baby boy's first birthday.
as i write this he is tucked in bed, sleeping the night away & i just keep thinking about the day he was born. it was right around this time that the nurses came in to tell me that i was going to stay & have my baby, right around 1 in the morning. i cannot believe that it has been an entire year since that day & since i very first saw his adorable little self. his bright blue eyes, the surprise of red hair, his nose & little lips. i was in love. i instantly adored him & my adoration has only grown for that little guy.

 it blows my mind at how much he has changed in one year. he's got the same bright eyes & red hair as he did when he was born, but everything else has changed. he's bigger, stronger & can do so much.
i love watching him, every single day he grows & learns something new. he is constantly smiling no matter what. he can be the sickest little guy & he still will be smiling & laughing. he is the most ticklish & has 10 teeth- 6 up top & 4 on the bottom. he is incredibly fast at crawling, & is getting really, really good at walking. he's become quite the climber. he climbs ontop of anything, the bean bag, the couch, the stairs, his rocking ship, & every single time he does it he has the biggest grin of accomplishment. i can't help but love it. he is constantly babbling saying mamama, dadada & bababa. but i'm pretty sure his first official word is going to be butt, so we'll have to wait & see. 

favorite food: bananas, corn, mac & cheese, watermelon
favorite drink: milk & water
favorite snack: graham crackers
favorite toy: rocky raccoon (we're those weird parents that name his toys), cars, & leonard the lion
favorite show: mickey mouse clubhouse road rally 
favorite song: the itsy bitsy spider
traveled to: idaho, california, arizona, nevada, oregon, illinois, south Dakota, wyoming, hawaii
flown: 21 x's 
lived in: 2 different cities
weighs: 21.5 lbs
steps: 25 in a row
disneyland: 3 x's 

there's nothing glamorous about being a mom. that's the truth of it. it's messy, it's sticky, sometimes it smells, but it is the best thing i have ever experienced. i like to think that i've learned a lot in my year of being a mom.

>>first: video things on a camera, if possible. if not, make sure to video horizontally, otherwise you might be slightly disappointed 10 months into your childs life when you realize you made the mistake of videoing only vertically... like i did. oh well.
>>second: in my personal experience, the baby is as high maintenance as you make it out to be. i've been an advocate since i found out i was pregnant that i was not having a high maintenance child & i like to think that i don't. he 's pretty easy. falls asleep easily, eats basically everything you give him, & doesn't cry too much. he's easily entertained, & is good at playing on his own. low maintenance & i like it.
>>third: you know how everyone always say: "enjoy it, they grow up so fast" & blah blah blah? well, it's true. previously before motherhood i always thought it was just a thing people said, but they really do grow up, so fast! it's insane, like really, it's just not normal for a human to change so much in such a short period of time. but it is really, really fun. so, enjoy it!
>>fourth: as soon as you're a parent, everyone has an opinion on how you need to raise your kid. try not to be that person. it's easy to feel like you've got the best parenting technique, but that doesn't mean everyone wants to hear about it.
>>fifth:  having a baby truly makes any bad day, a million times better. they're just so cute, cuddly, & funny that you can't help but be happier. 
>>sixth: if you don't freak out, they won't freak out. i'm not overly dramatic as is, but i've really tried not to react too much if cedar falls or something like that & i've come to realize that when other people are around that do react, he freaks out a bit more & cries more than he would if it were just me. your reaction really determines theirs. 

i love you cedar baby. happy birthday.

3 comments

  1. what a doll!! i can't believe he's one!!! but, it also seems like he has always been here....you and austin have become amazing, fun, fantastic parents....keep up the great work.....you're raising an amazing person.....i love him!!!

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  2. so much sweetness :) i can't believe he's one either!! happy birthday cedar!!!

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