This past week Samuel turned ONE and we spent many days celebrating. The little man’s birthday feels like a big deal – it feels like we’ve accomplished a great victory! Over the year we’ve learned a few things….
Family naps are the BEST! A good chunk of this first year has been scattered with some rough patches of little to no sleep. Early on sleep was sacrificed for moments of taking a shower, eating, or waving my arms around like propellers because they were empty and could move. On the weekends when we get Samuel to take a nap it’s go time – parental snoozing for the win!
Fresh air is good for the soul. From the first few day’s of life together we made it a point to get outside and breathe some fresh air every day. When Stead returned to work it was a little more intimidating to pull off but as the year has gone the little man and I have gotten some great adventures in. Samuel loves riding in the jogging stroller through the neighborhood (which is good because I’ve signed up to jog a half-marathon in May). He and I are officially regulars at a favorite downtown coffee shop, we’ve got the locker room process at the pool down-to-a-T, and we know most of the story time rhymes at the library. Now that the little man is older and strong enough he can also ride in a bike trailer! Stead got our family one for our birthdays and when we did our first ride with it Samuel smiled, got mad when Stead stopped biking, and fell asleep with his adorable green helmet on. As soon as Sammy starts walking our world of exploring will triple in size!
It takes a village – and boy do we love our village! They say it takes a village to raise a child. I think that’s true. I also think it takes a village to keep parents sane! When we first brought Samuel home we felt loved and supported by so many. For a month we were showered with brief visits and meals. As the year has gone on the meals have stopped but the support has never wavered. To everyone who gave caring advice, encouraging reassurance, and who has spent a few moments snuggling and playing with Samuel – thank you.
All you need is love. The baby vortex (0-4months) is deep, sleep regressions are painful, healing from a C-section is a slow process, arms get tired, and you can run out of breath “sssssshhhhhhhhhh-ing” a cranky tiny person. When you’re ready to give up and cry, love steps in. For me, love has been Stead waking up with Samuel all year at 4:30/5am to do the first bottle of the day so I can stay cozy in bed and add another hour or two of sleep. Love is watching my husband and son bond over walks in the neighborhood and spinning the wings of the duck windmill in the back yard. Love is setting up a giant tent so the whole family can go camping. Love is choosing one another over and over again no matter how tired or stressed we may become. I am honored to share life and adventures with Stead – and we are honored to share it with Samuel!
