I have no idea where to begin Gray's birthday post so I just went back and reread a lot of posts from his first weeks. (HERE and HERE and HERE) And I'm sitting here completely emotional and wanting another baby and wishing time would slow down.
(As an aside, thank GOD for this blog. Most of what I read I didn't remember. Keeping this up while my kids are so young is a blessing and a half so that someday I will have memories of a time that moved so quickly. Severe sleep deprivation robs you of memories I think. Anyway, I'm so grateful I blog.)
BUT.
At the same time I am so thankful we've made it this far! Last year when we had THREE kids under THREE I really wasn't sure how we'd make it. I was worried about the lack of sleep (both girls weren't sleeping through the night well AND we had an infant), I was worried how I'd balance my time, I worried about my little business and I worried endlessly about our marriage and the stress it would experience. But we made it. We seriously made it and in the last year we've actually thrived! Every day things just keep getting better. Which is kind of a miracle if you ask me!
Anyway.
What I meant to say is that we made it. We have three kids that (mostly) sleep through the night. Two out of three are potty trained. We have two walkers and one crawler who will make his walking debut very soon we think, meaning we have three kids on the move. Or marriage is great and my business is growing. We made it through the HARDEST years! From here it will just keep getting easier! (Do NOT leave a comment telling me it just gets harder in different ways. NOTHING is as hard as having three kids under three. My life IS WAY easier today than it was a year ago!)
So as much as I want to start all over again and have ten more kids, I don't. As I look back at our little man and his first days of life I crave to hold a newborn again, but then I look at where we are and know this is perfect.
Three kids.
One. Two. Three.
Three little stair steps and I love it.
Happy Birthday Grayson. Grayman. The little man and Bubba. You have made our family complete. You are funny and patient and curious and such a little lover. Your sisters fawn over you all day and love to make you laugh. They run up every morning when they hear you chatter on the monitor b/c they both want to say good morning first! They try to carry you around which makes us laugh b/c you are almost as big as they are! They love you sweet boy and have never had one ounce of jealousy that we brought a new baby into the house. You have made our family complete. I love you for that. And for the million and one other little things that add up to YOU. I can't wait to see what the next year brings in your life!
TODAY: The guest of honor is napping and C is cleaning up the kitchen so I can start making a cake. Of course I've been working so much I completely forgot to order a cake for Gray to SMASH (we might do that shoot next week!) so now I'm baking. Lord help me. I'm making a cake AND cupcakes to be exact which just might do me in. Then, if that doesn't take all day, we're going to either do a quick photo shoot or go to the pool. We also need to hit the grocery store. We have gifts to wrap for his mini party tonight with our sweet friends the MacBrydes. It's a day devoted to Grayson (with some errands thrown in!) so as of NOW I'm putting the computer away until late tonight! Let's call this a semi-unplugged day!
And as I finish this up, after multiple pauses to help with breakfast and nurse (YES! One year of nursing under my belt and still going strong!) and whatever, an hour has passed and I now have an official ONE year old! WOW.
One. Two. Three.
This might just be the craziest year yet! HA!
(photos later...)
