Happy 1st Birthday to my Groundhog Baby

I want to do a special post to commemorate Billy’s first birthday. I’ve been kicking around a few ideas. There’s always re-hashing the birth story, writing him a letter telling him what he means to me, etc. They all feel hackneyed. I’ve seen them on lots of blogs, done much better than I could do. I think I’ll just write a few lists:

12 things in my life that have changed in the last 12 months:

Sleeping in is being in bed until 7 am
The greatest sound in the world is now MMMMAA MMMMAA MMMMAA
I own more cheerios than anything
Free time = play with Billy time
My needs come last
My bladder is way different
I’m so much more patient
It’s easier to let things go
If he’s okay, I’m okay
I’m not okay, if he’s not
There are toys everywhere
The attic is being used for clothing storage

12 things I’ve learned being Billy’s mom:

It’s okay to ask for help
Housework is unimportant
Except the floors should be clean for crawling lads
Formula is expensive, so are diapers
My job is my job
My family is my life
Trust my instincts
But, listen to advice (some of it is useful)
Waitresses love little kids
It’s easier to smile
It’s okay that my needs come last
It’s wonderful to be alive


12 things I love about Billy:

His smile
His laugh
His joy in people
How everything is so new
That everything new is wonderful
Those blue eyes
The whorl in his hair
The way he loves to be upside-down, in the air, or swinging round
The way he flirts with everyone
His adoration of the Molly-dog
The feeling of his sleepy head on my shoulder
His sheer Billy-ness

12 wishes for the next 12 months:

That they’re healthier than the last 3
That he stays such a happy boy
That daddy gets the hang of changing diapers
That he starts to like the bath again
That those teeth start to bother him less
That weaning from a bottle is as easy as from the breast
That he keeps growing and developing as well as he has
That we keep loving to learn together
That he loves the ocean as much as daddy and I this summer
That Molly becomes his best friend again (she runs away)
That he always knows how much we love him
That they go more slowly than the last 12


I’ll have pictures tomorrow.