A Look Back at the Past Year

Today we are celebrating the life of our little boy.  He turns one year old!  It has been an amazing year filled with lots of smiles, tears, sleepless nights, and joy.  Yes, a lot of highs and lows, and ups and downs.  It has been a hard year with many new adjustments.  We have had to learn what to do, what works best, rely on our instincts, and trust the Lord.  It has been very difficult being away from friends and family that could help us and relieve us for a while.  It has been hard not having other mothers around to ask things like "what did you do for this, how did you handle that" etc.   Through it all we have learned a lot about ourselves and each other.  

It is an overwhelming task to know that you are raising a child. There are days when I wonder if I did enough, hugged him enough, made him feel loved, safe, and secure enough. Do you ever just feel like you are doing it right? You only get one chance, that is what is so scary.

It is so true that a baby changes everything- the way you think, the way you see the world, the way you act, where you go, what you do, and so on.  Life has not and will not ever be the same after becoming parents.  .  I never knew just how hard being a mom could be, but I also never knew how rewarding it is.  When I see his sweet smile or hear his little laugh, the world just stands still.  My heart melted the day he was born and placed into my arms.  It has not been the same since.  It has been a great joy being mom and dad to such a precious little boy.  We are thankful that God entrusted him into our care.  It is our daily prayer that we would lead him right, teach him by example, model a Christian home before him, and most of all that he would grow up to know and serve the Lord with all of his heart.  We love him more than words can say, and cannot imagine our lives without him.

I cannot believe how fast the year has gone by.  I remember sitting in the hospital bed the night before his birth and just holding my stomach and trying to treasure that feeling as long as I could.  Now it is like I blinked and he is celebrating his first birthday.  As I looked back at photos of him throughout the year it was amazing how much he changed and how fast he grew.  There are moments that are hard to remember and days that seem to run together.  I am so thankful that I have journaled his changes, growth, and life.  Many details you forget and I want to try to remember it all. 

I put together a video of his first year.  It took me a long while to finish it.  I shed many tears working on it.  I am excited to see him grow, explore, and learn new things, but at the same time he is my baby and I want to cherish his every moment!

May 26, 2010 is a day that forever changed our lives.  There is nothing that compares to the birth of your child!  We are very thankful and very blessed.  Happy Birthday, Cruz!  YOU ARE LOVED!