A Big Day

Last week, our little baby turned ONE.

I still can't believe it. 

I made a video montage of Noah's first year and still just sit in amazement (and a pile of tears) seeing how much he has grown and developed in just twelve quick months. Thinking of how our family and marriage has grown. In one year everything looks so different...in such a fun way. The day Noah was born, life was never the same for us. For me. I was immediately filled with an overwhelming sense of love, concern, and (let's be honest here) a "what do I do now?" feeling. I was scared and excited. Happy and bewildered. But...in love. 

I'm planning to write a (probably large) post later today to talk about how much I've learned in my few months as a new mom. There is a laundry list of lessons that I am still learning. 

Noah amazes me every day. 

He also challenges me. 

To slow down. To be patient. To turn off the "screens" and be present.  To follow my heart and trust my maternal instincts. To not compare myself with other friends. To not compare my child's journey with anyone else's. To not worry about the dust covered shelves or the hair balls in the corners constantly...they can wait until nap time. Or next month. 

And finally, but most importantly, to trust and rely on God for guidance every day. 

Alright, more on that stuff later.

We were able to have a lovely party over the weekend celebrating Noah's first year of life. Despite the crazy wind and downpour of rain, it was a special time with our family and closest friends. While I was a little weary of giving Noah a sugar filled cupcake, we decided it was a tradition that we wanted him to experience. And boy was he thankful for that decision!! He literally devoured the entire cupcake in less than 3 minutes. He probably would have eaten another one, who am I kidding?
I was just thrilled that he approved of my amateur cupcake baking skills :-)

P.S. After the party, Noah was passed out in the car within one minute of driving. Today is Monday and he is still recovering from all the celebratory fun. 

And here are two cute pictures of Noah just loving waking up to a few new toys :-)