My First Year

Yesterday was my son's first birthday. Please excuse the teardrops on the keyboard. It is amazing the transformation that takes place for babies within these first 365 days. He learned to hold his head up, roll over, sit up, crawl, stand and walk around furniture. He also developed a gorgeous smile with six teeth. He learned to laugh, to be mischievous, that he doesn't like cucumbers but loves pretty much everything else- on most days. He likes to be sang to, danced with, taken on walks and playing with water bottles. He REALLY liked his birthday cupcake!
A major transformation took place for me as well over the past 12 months. I became a mother. I gave birth on April 30, 2006 but it took a while to settle into my new identity, to feel comfortable and confident in it. I've become so much more aware of life's blessings and its struggles. I found out what real joy feels like, as well as real fear and sadness. When you have a child, everything becomes intensified exponentially. Simple things like preparing a meal to more complicated things like articulating your feeling to your partner become so much more difficult. This first year has been about creating a balance, a rhythm in which to move through each day. It has also been a lesson in surrender and serenity, both of which can be fleeting. Most importantly, the past year has been an incredible gift. The days were sometimes long, the year was short but the memories will last forever.