Happy Birthday Sören!

Yesterday we celebrated one year with Soren. Starting on Friday night, I started rehashing all of the details of my labor with him. I would tell him what time of day my water broke and when my contractions started (a.k.a. "When you told Mama it was time to come out.") I reminded him of when I started pushing (12pm) and when he was finally born (3:15pm.) He just looked back at me blankly. I guess it was more for me than him to recount all of the details. I just could not believe it had been a year since my life changed so dramatically.

When I was lying in the hospital bed at midnight having been up for 2 days straight (oh yeah, and giving birth most of that time) I remember thinking how no one warned me how hard it would be. I wasn't naive when it came to caring for babies; I had done it for other families and really, almost everyone does it - how hard could it be? Now I realize that there's just no way words can prepare someone for how life changing birth and caring for a new baby can be. You suddenly go from an individual who can eat, sleep, bathe and live on your own terms, to a parasitic host that is no longer living solely for yourself. Obviously, being a Mama is a lot more fulfilling than being a "host", but in those early days you feel like you are constantly giving all that you could possibly give of yourself. If I only would have known how fast that time would go by, I would have cherished it a little more. Or maybe not - who knows.

Soren has suddenly turned into a little boy. Every day it seems like he's doing something new and I'm finally realizing that almost every parent must feel the way I do - that I have birthed the sweetest, smartest baby in the world! It's hard not to be so overtaken with pride and amazement these days - but I try to keep my head strapped on (for the most part.)

His party had me stressed for a few days, but it turned out to be a really fun time to celebrate with our friends and family. I thought Soren might feel overwhelmed with so much going on but he didn't seem to mind the hang out time at all. He did a great job of sitting through opening two of his presents and LOVED his organic oat and applesauce muffin/birthday cake topped with hand whipped cream. His favorite part was playing with all of his friends and test driving his new Radio Flyer wagon. It's amazing to see how many people love our little guy. We truly are blessed with amazing people in our lives and it makes me feel so blessed that Soren will grow up with that kind of friendship around him. I am so looking forward to another incredible year with Soren!

Here are some pictures from his special day...