I’m humming this Frank Sinatra song as I type, reflecting on my son’s first year.
I remember his arrival like it was yesterday….the baby who wasn’t sure when he wanted to make his big debut, and driving me crazy in the process. We didn’t know if we were having a boy or a girl, but it was ultimately Baby O’s indecision (or lovely Braxton Hicks contractions that led to three trips to the hospital) that made me think I was having a boy! The third time was the charm, meeting our handsome son only about 2 hours after being officially admitted in the labor ward.
So many memories: the adorable pout he did shortly after being born, meeting a proud big sister, and going to his first wedding at 3 weeks old. My daughter, just shy of 2 years old at the time would sing to him, telling him “don’t cry” and also proclaimed, “He likes me.” All of the new-baby snuggles, nursing, blow-out changes, and lack of sleep seem in the distant past as I think of the squirmy, tall 1 year old, who is just starting to take a few steps on his own.
The first three months flew by, ending with a fun mom-son flight to visit one of my dearest, best friends. He was the happiest baby in the Denver airport as we flew back home. I can’t believe how smoothly that trip went! What an awesome, easy-going baby, ready to see the world!
After getting home Sunday night, I went back to work that Monday. It was definitely a last hurrah for me! Then time really started to fly – first Christmas, starting cereal, leaving work, smiling, cooing, rolling, almost sitting up, eating homemade baby food, pounding on the play piano, putting any and everything in his mouth, and showing off his personality more at 6 months.
More milestones followed over summer – staying overnight in a hotel, first train ride, teething, scooting, making tuba noises and dah dah, playing with random things: paper, shoes, cardboard tubes, curling ribbon, babyproofing more and more, first time swimming, crawling doing his “butt scoot boogie”, saying more words, cruising on furniture, and taking his first steps just a week before your first birthday. What a good year my little man! I feel so blessed to be your mom!
go mama o. 