A Year in Review

A few days old

One week

Two weeks

Three weeks

 Four weeks

 One month

Two months

 Three months

 Four months

 Five months

 Six months

 Seven months

Eight months

Nine months

Ten months

 Eleven months

One year!

It's amazing to see how our baby has grown into a toddler in just twelve short months.  This is one of two projects I committed to do so that we could see how Zeke grows and changes.  The other was a monthly footprint project that you make into cute little butterflies (an idea given by a friend).  I knew I could do something twelve times this year in the chaos of two very different work schedules and a little one's constant demands.  I'm so glad I did it!  (And a little relieved that it's complete) It's like we have a whole new boy today from those first days.  I really cherish those newborn days: getting to know our new son, figuring out his likes and dislikes, looking at him in complete awe wondering how he could have possibly come from us and is now ours forever.  Yet I can see how it is true that you forget those days very quickly, even though it doesn't seem like you can ever forget some of those sleepless nights in the moment.  But, I have, and I look back on those days with so much gratitude and, again, awe.

Now, life beats to a different drum, for sure.  We have a motivated, walking, blabbering, mischief-attracted, funny, expressive, affectionate little boy on our hands who makes us laugh every single day.  Sleep is a piece of cake now, which is good because, contrary to popular belief, some days take more energy now than the newborn days.  These days have just as much joy as those first days, and the best part is that Zeke now shares that joy with us.  He knows we're his parents.  He knows if something is wrong he can come to us, and we'll figure out what's wrong and take care of him.  He loves us, just like we love him.  That's one of the great things about this stage that can be hard to see with a new baby.

Lots of lessons and love.  That's the theme of Zeke's first year with us.  On to the next.