Grant....The First Year

Twelve months. Seems like a long time, right? But with each baby the months fly by at a faster speed than before. When he was born, September 27, 2007 via a scheduled c-section, I remember thinking he'd be my last baby. I told myself that I would slow down and enjoy each and every moment because I knew how fast it passed with my girls. But here we are....a year after his birth....and I'm stunned at how it slipped right through my fingers. Sure, I tried to enjoy it all - the way he'd smile up at me while he fed, or the first smiles through a face covered with rice cereal. The first recognition that his limbs actually belonged to him and that he might be able to control them someday, or the sleepy head rested quietly, peacefully between my neck and my shoulder. Hmmmm - such sweet memories of my smallest baby.

I've blinked and a year has passed. He turned ONE last Saturday. He doesn't sit still to snuggle with his Mommy nearly as often. He feeds himself. He pushes away so he can get DOWN and do whatever it is HE wants to do. He has an opinion now! (The nerve!). Twelve little months and so many changes. Of course it is exciting to watch him reach each new milestone....but all of the "firsts" he's already achieved and left behind - will I remember them? That's my big fear I guess. I don't want to forget a single minute of it! (Ok - maybe the gas pains that had him screaming for HOURS when he was just a couple months old...but that's it).

And perhaps because he is my last child - my youngest....my last crack at getting this Mommy thing right...maybe that's why I want to hang on to it just a little bit longer. Now, don't worry - I'm not unhealthy about this. I've switched him to a sippy cup and whole milk, switched his car seat to forward-facing and everything else I'm supposed to do. I'm not still squeezing him into blanket sleepers or anything. I'm normal....I'm just a little sad that it flew by so quickly.

He's an amazing little guy, that Grant. SO smiley! And doesn't that smile just light up the room? Melt your heart? Expose a devious plan? I love ALL my kids - I do! They are all so special to me - so smart, so fun, so CUTE....But there's just something about that little man of mine that just melts my heart! I never thought I'd understand that dynamic - but all it took was the nurses lying him in my arms for the first time - looking down into his brand-new face - and I was hooked. H-O-O-K-E-D, I tell ya! And 12 months later I still am.

Here's what he's doing at ONE:

Today he is crawling at LIGHTNING speed, feeding himself, drinking from a sippy cup, playing peek-a-boo, dancing (bouncing to music), clapping, shaking his head "no," patty-cake, "so-big," playing with cars/trucks and making a "VVVVVVVV" sound as he pushes them across the room, throwing a pretty good hissy-fit, blowing kisses, hugging, throwing his arms up when we say "Touchdown!" and saying "Bye-bye," "Hi," "Ma-Ma," "Da-Da," Whasat" and walking behind push-toys and along furniture.

(Birthday cake-eating pics/movie/post coming soon)