March 28.

Somebody had a birthday today.

I woke up and looked at the clock, close to 7am. I had tears in my eyes as I remembered that a year prior, I was only minutes away from meeting this sweet sweet boy.

Being a Mama has made me more sentimental than I expected.  I think being pregnant has something to do with that, too. :-)

I got up, showered, and it was about 7:20am when I heard little mister stirring in his crib.  I usually let him roll around a bit and fully wake up before I go and get him.  Today, I went right in at 7:21am.  I picked him up, snuggled him with his head pressed close into my chest, and rocked him as the clock hit 7:23am.  The moment he was born a year prior.  

Oh, how I love this boy.  

He heard Dada in the kitchen, so the snuggles were short-lived.  We got up, and had birthday pancakes.  And I am thinking how this is the moment, a year ago, where I probably was able to hold him for the first time after my c-section.  Where we started nursing, and we just stared at our precious son and took in every perfect little inch.

He has no idea the significance of this day... yet.  I know we will go through many more birthdays and the excitement of turning a year older will build.  Though somehow I feel that I am going to dread each birthday in a small way.  Motherhood is bitter-sweet.  Bitter to watch the babies get bigger, older, more independent.  Sweet to experience all of these fascinating milestones every day.

We finished breakfast and started playing as Dada went off to work.

Soon enough it was nap time.  We are still aiming for two naps a day, as that is when he is happiest.  He took a great first nap, and I was able to start working on some stuff for his party this weekend.  When nap time was over we put on his special birthday shirt and went to Mamaw and Papaw's for lunch.  

And opened the first gift (which I don't have a picture of)!  Before long, it was nap time again, so we headed home.  Of course he fought this nap for a good hour and finally fell asleep around 4pm.  Mommy may have also. :-)  We got up around 5pm and Daddy came home around 5:30.  We were off to your first birthday dinner!

There was another little boy having a birthday party at the table next to us, and Jude was quite fascinated with all the kids running around.

We stopped and got a birthday donut on the way home.  It's not a birthday without cake of some sort. :-)  This boy is his mother's son, and gobbled up nearly the entire thing.  The real cake will come on Saturday, when we have his party.

Daddy and I sang Happy Birthday and we opened presents.  It was already close to bedtime, so Jude took a quick bath, got into jammies, and was rubbing his eyes while begging for his bottle.  I'm not ready to give up the nighttime bottle yet.  Soon.  But he loves it.  And so do I.  It is guaranteed snuggles.

And just like that, the day is over.  The first birthday has come and gone.  Just like any other day.

My baby is ONE.

Happy Birthday, my sweet Jude Michael!!