A Year of First

Today marks a huge event, Barrett's first birthday! He graced this wonderful world at 6:17am Sept 29, 2011 & he stole our hearts. I'm at a loss of words on what to even say about how incredibly fast time is going by. I can honestly remember his birth like it was yesterday & I will never forget the first moment I held him.
Today is super emotional for me because I really can't believe that a whole year has passed & my little baby is growing up. I wish I could freeze time! I am amazingly lucky to be able to experience a full year of firsts right along side of him & I wouldn't trade it for the world. We became parents for the first time, we knew what unconditional love was, we felt pure joy & also true fear. I never knew that I could love someone as much as I do my son & I also never knew I could be so afraid of everything. Afraid to mess up as a parent, afraid to let him down or afraid that something bad might happen to him. I did however learn that no matter what Barrett will be loved! He is with the people that love him the most in the world, us, & what more could we ask for? No one could ever love him & care for him more than we could.
This year has been so incredible & each day Barrett amazes us more & more. I am proud & so happy to have been able to be there for every single first of his. The first time he rolled over, crawled, talked, first steps & well everything! I was there every step of the way & will always be there. Our life is what we make of it & I'm unbelievable happy that I made the choice to be there to experience all these new fun achievements.
We will be having his first birthday party this weekend. It's still so crazy to think about. I'm usually the queen of hosting, but this time around I've been slacking. I know I keep putting stuff off because I just didn't want to admit that he was actually turning one! I am excited to be able to celebrate with all our family & friends though. I've been slowly working on a few DIY party decorations & will be making some super cute cupcakes & Barrett's own personal little cake. I will definitely be posting pictures of the party, so keep your eyes out.
So to end on a sweet note... Happy 1st Birthday Barrett! I love you to the moon & back. You will move mountains, but you will always be my little stinker bug XOXO

I can't believe how much he has changed, but is still the same. He is still the cutest little boy in the world though :)

Here is the first picture we took of him right after he was born. The next picture is one of us yesterday evening after our walk & before bed, I wanted to make sure I took a photo of us before he was all grown up!

The Mom In Me

Our life has been a crazy whirl wind of... well... a little bit of everything! It seems like each day there is something new going on, some times exciting & some times not so much. I wish I had the time, and the words, to share it all.
Our house is slowly coming along. Not at the pace that we could hope for, but it's getting there (I'll be posting some photos in the next couple weeks). They extended our completion date by a whole month, which is a let down. I've actually been so busy that it really hasn't got me down too much. It's amazing how being a mom can really keep your mind occupied. I keep telling myself that I'll slowly start packing stuff up, but just never get a chance to. Part of me is sad to leave the house we're in now. We got engaged here, married here, & had our son here. This house means a lot to me. Ben thinks I'm crazy about that stuff, but the mom in me doesn't want to give it up. I feel like we have so many memories here & thankfully most of them are really great memories.
Talking about great memories, Barrett's 1st birthday is coming up next week & I still can't believe that this year is already gone! He's growing more every day & doing new things like crazy. I can't believe that it's been a whole year since he was born. I honestly never would've expected it to fly by so fast. I can't wait to celebrate, but I honestly get tears in my eyes just thinking about how things are flashing by.
It sure seems like things get so busy sometimes that I forget to slow down & actual enjoy being a mom. Not that I have never enjoyed it, but on most days it just seems like work. My son is just growing up too fast & the only way I can slow it down is savor every second of it.
I decided I would share a couple things I do & think about to help keep myself grounded.

1. Breathe
It seems so simple, but trust me it works. Telling yourself to just breathe can really make you think about the important things. When things seem overwhelming or extra stressful just breath! Go in another room, close the door & just take a minute to yourself. Moments like that can really help you see between right & wrong. They can also keep you sane! It'll be okay :)

2. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Everyone has a bad day & it doesn't make you a bad person. Things will happen if you want them to or not & there is no reason to stress about all the little things you can't change. Things like cleaning up dog poop baby foot prints isn't something you hope for, but it happens & you have to move on. Remember you're not the only one who has bad days, your kiddos do too. Take 2 seconds to give them a hug or kiss (even if they fight it) & let go of all the little things.

3. Be a Kid
Get down to your little one's level & try to see things through their eyes. It's amazing all the things you can miss out on when we don't take the time to look. Being a parent is hard work & sometimes being one of the kids can help remind you of what fun is & also
help you understand your own kids. So take the time to crawl around the floor & explore, see the world through your kids eyes. Experiencing new (or forgotten) things is fun & your kids will love that you are joining in.

4. Realize What's Important
I can't emphasize this one enough. It always amazes me of how fast people can overlook the most important things in life. Family & love! We live in such a materialistic world & we are taught to buy buy buy. I think if everyone just stopped to think about what really matters most then things would be less stressful. My son is the most important thing, every second I spend with him & every milestone I go through with him is the important thing in my life. Deciding what's important to you can really help you be happier & have less stress.

Here's a picture of Barrett chowing down on some yummy Paradise Bakery. I never get a chance to treat myself & at home everything is just so busy all the time. I decided I would have a special relaxing lunch date with my adorable son! I really loved it & I know he did too. Moments like that are what make being a stay-a-home mom extra special & worth it.