One Year With Grayson

(Yes, my boob is now on the internet. I don’t know how I feel about that yet).

It has been one year with Grayson in our lives. I’m just letting that sink in.

Last week was emotional to say the least. How else are you supposed to describe such a special week/day? It hits you right in the feelings. You’re celebrating this beautiful and perfect human that you brought into this world. The one you carried with you (inside you) every single day for nine months. He’s out in the world now…having birthdays and biting you and stuff.
You’re reminiscing and cherishing every moment that you have spent with them up to this point. There are some days that are a complete blur and some that I will remember forever.

On the 17th, we celebrated Grayson’s birthday. My not so little boy turned ONE.

Grayson’s birth story has yet to grace this blog, but that’s a post for another day that I promise I’m working on. I will say though, that he has been the greatest thing to have ever happened to me. He saved my life in so many ways. He brought so much light and happiness into my life that I wasn’t sure I would ever get to experience (not to mention countless dimpled smiles).

We share such a special bond, him and I. One that is so hard to describe. I know that all of you mommies can relate to this. I am in awe of him every single day. Some days, it’s still hard to believe that Jacob and I created someone so absolutely perfect.

I remember laying in bed with Jacob a couple of nights before just talking about how we couldn’t believe that it had already been a year. Of course, that’s the cliche thing to say, and I will most likely repeat it every year on his birthday.

It’s true though, I can’t believe that it has been a year. In this last year I have learned some invaluable skills. Skills that I think will better my overall quality of life. Those skills include: cutting food into little tiny bits, changing a diaper one handed while trying not to get poop on my hands, carrying 500 things at once, pooping and showering at record speed, and preparing a bottle while asleep.

Let’s not forget the cross country road trip in the dead of Winter with a baby. That’s gotta be a skill. The car was off and parked, calm your tits.Seriously, I’m putting that in my resume.

I still remember the night before I went to the hospital to be induced like it was yesterday. I was nervous, anxious, and scared. “Am I really ready for this?” “Am I ready to be someone’s mother for the rest of my life?” In all honesty, I don’t think that we’re ever really ready. There is too much pressure to have your life completely one-hundred percent together before ever having children…no one would have children if we thought and planned like that. Just my two cents.

Jacob and I decided not to go all out for his birthday this year. In all honesty, we couldn’t budget for it right now, there are just too many things going on. We also don’t know many people, having just moved back to Tennessee. So, we decided to have family over for cake. My in-laws came all the way from California to spend the week with us and to spend Grayson’s first birthday with him. The week was spent gallivanting around town seeing the sights and eating way too much food.

Here are a few pictures from his birthday that I thought I would share. Shout out to Target’s Dollar Spot for the adorable ‘Celebrate’ banner, that I will definitely be using every year.

The cake is from Publix and was delicious. If you order a cake from them that’s $23.49 or more, you get a free smash cake. The word free just speaks to me on a spiritual level. We needed the smash cake for his first year and smash cake photos anyways. They let me design and pick colors for the smash cake as well. Some moms that I’ve talked to didn’t know that Publix did this, so I figured I would share that bit of information. I’m hoping that the photos will be sent to me soon from his shoot so that I can share with y’all!

He hated this hat. It took Jacob and I 5 minutes to distract him and convince him that he wasn’t wearing it. It’s from Party City. Sidenote: Why do hardly any stores have First Birthday hats? Is this some shit I needed to order from Etsy like 8 months in advance?

Out of all of the toys that he got, his favorite was this broom. Yes. The broom. Not the car, the V-Tech laptop, or the water table. The broom. He holds it in the air and chases everyone around the kitchen with it.

Celebrating Grayson last week was a not so subtle reminder to me of how far my little family has come—together. Jacob and I survived our first year as newlyweds and parents. We haven’t quite made it through all of the obstacles placed in front of us, yet, but I know that we will. I know in my heart that we will come out of every hardship we have faced this year better and stronger and still together. Always together.

It is with a full and grateful heart that I thank everyone for reaching out to us and wishing him a happy birthday. Thank you for visiting me here weekly and being a part of our lives. My hope is that I can become more present on this blog, I am working on it. The idea of being able to connect with so many wonderful people while sharing, inspiring, encouraging, and experiencing life together is what drives me.

And, that’s enough pictures Mom!