One Year Ago...

Ever since I can remember I've kept a journal. I've gone through seasons of writing daily, only to find other seasons going  MONTHS without picking up my pen.  One of the reasons that I journal life's experiences and emotions is to look back ~ I will pick up my journal and find entries as close to that day as possible.  I found that the Lord spoke to me through my own writing, often years later...I guess that is what I am doing through my blogpost tonight.  Taylor turned one today.The last 24 hours have been strange, especially to think about all that Taylor has learned in the last year. I mean 365 days ago the only things he could do was eat, sleep and as they say in Hawaii "make shi-shi".  I am simply astonished at how much he has grown...he can walk, has 4 teeth, is talking (although we often have NO idea what he is saying...), he can feed himself, he loves the water, and toby, he reaches his arms out to us, he nestles his head on my shoulder to give me hugs, he picks things up, he LAUGHS, he sobs, he hates having his diaper changed, he doesn't mind hats (or shoes for that matter), he loves the ocean...I could go on and on.  What mother doesn't think her child is amazing?But I'm even more amazed at how we have grown as a family.  How we questioned every diaper change and feeding those first few days.  I've called the 24-hour nurse help line more times that I'd like to admit and I spent LONG hours researching baby sleep habits for the first 6 months.  A year later our nerve endings aren't so frazzled by Taylor crying and I've learned to distinguish a teething runny nose from a oncoming cold runny nose.  Instead of running to scoop him up when he falls, we tell him he's alright and allow him to learn to get up on his own again.  We have come a long way...but fully know that we have a long way to go. But its worth it.  Our lives are richer, fully and funner than they were a year ago and I am blessed. Please enjoy the look back from 1 year ago...and from today.  Celebrating Taylors birthday!!!   (oh!! and thank you to Laura Menenberg ~ our amazing doula ~ for taking all the black and white photos of Taylors birth...SO blessed to have them now!!)