{month 12}

Happy Birthday, sweet boy. I genuinely can’t believe it’s even possible for you to be one already! This month may have been our busiest yet – not just in our running around, but in your growth & learning. Before you continue reading, settle in with a cup of coffee, snack, and maybe a tissue or two. There's tons of pictures and ALL of the feels. 

love this picture of you and your nursery buddies all huddled around the table eating cheerios

We started off this month by taking a trip to Jaemor Farms. Your daddy and I have always had a “fall day” since we’ve been together. Your mama loves all things fall, so we set aside one day to do all things fall. It usually involves us driving to Blue Ridge or somewhere in North Georgia for pretty leaves and delicious apples. This year, we drove just right up I-985 with you in tow, and celebrated our first fall day with YOU! We shopped in the market, took lots of pictures with pumpkins bigger than you, rode hayrides, and ate fried apple pies on the tailgate of daddy’s truck. I’ve never seen a baby so relaxed on a hayride – you were in your element, for sure! It was like a lullaby rocking you to sleep – precious!

hayride lullaby

trying to keep you awake

The next weekend, we started off the morning with a little Waffle House family date. You had your first Waffle House waffle - I'd say you loved it :) 

Later that night, you made your appearance as the cutest cow ever. When your mama is a marketing director for Chick-fil-A, you have no choice in your costume, sweet boy! We went trick-or-treating in Uncle CoCo & Aunt Katie’s neighborhood. We had the cutest group of kiddos, for sure! Obviously you’re too young to eat the good stuff, so you didn’t actually trick-or-treat. I figured it would be pretty obvious that your mama would be eating all of your candy, so we just walked around with everyone while daddy, Uncle CoCo & G watched football!

that flash bright, baby boy?

 

family selfie before going to CoCo & Kate's

Harrison made you a sign that says "eat mor chikin" - you didn't love it, but your mama sure did

At the beginning of November, your mama and daddy went to the mountains with friends for the weekend, and you stayed with Mema and Poppa. You had LOTS of fun traveling all over the place (of course you had fun – they never tell you no ;D) A couple of weekends later, you spent the night with Mimi & G (you got lots of family time this month). Mama had an event at work, and daddy was supposed to help a friend move. After we got you home Saturday afternoon, we took family/one year pictures. You were running low on naps, and I was so nervous on how you’d be – you were a rock star! So stinking precious (thanks, Jessica Nicole Photography).

you spent the day with Pop & Poppa - boys day is so much fun!

you looooove Cooper. Jury is still out on whether Cooper loves you.

passed out with G and Doug

And finally, the culmination of a few tears, lots of laughs, and even more love – your first birthday! Friday afternoon, I left work early to spend some one on one time with you. I knew Saturday would be crazy hectic, and I probably wouldn’t get to spend a ton of quality time with you. Before you were born, I labeled everything as “the last __________ before Grant”. Well this last month has been “the last _________ before Grant turns one”. You fell asleep on our way home from daycare. I sat there with the car door open just staring at you thinking “this is the last nap he’ll take in the car before he turns one.” I know, I know – so absolutely ridiculous. I can’t help it. I’m a big mush since you wreaked havoc on my hormones. We enjoyed an afternoon of playing in the floor, reading books, and just being silly. That night, as you fell asleep I just couldn’t help but stare at your sweet, sweet face (in a sweet-not-creepy-way). Oh, my heart. As I sat there and brushed back your [sort of non-existent] hair, I bawled shed a tear or two, thinking of where we were this time last year and how much has changed so quickly. The peacefulness of your sleep was such the opposite of the feelings buzzing between your daddy and I one year before as we anxiously waited on the phone call from the hospital telling us to come in to prepare for your arrival. I went to sleep with an aching but proud heart – that’s a strange feeling; one that I’m sure I’ll experience many, many more times in the coming years.

helping mama make mashed potatoes

impromptu dinner date with daddy after work.

you are my favorite snuggler.

how is that even comfortable?

 

i love it when your daycare teachers send me pictures (Ms. Brandy & Ms. Jessica - ignore this part. There's no way his teachers have their phones out taking pictures, i promise)

Saturday morning, we put on our best singing voices and woke you up singing happy birthday! We brought you to our room where we had a fancy breakfast of milk and a birthday doughnut :D We were lazy for a little bit and just enjoyed the morning with you. I prayed you’d take a good nap, so you’d be bright eyed and bushy tailed for your party (my prayers were answered)! Family started arriving around 11:15 for your lumberjack bash. You took everything in – family, food, presents. You broke into the presents before everyone even got here! Of course, once it was actually time for presents, you wanted nothing to do with them. We had a hearty chili & cornbread lunch. Except your mama was a big ole goober and realized at ohhhhhh 10:00am that you wouldn’t eat chili, and neither would your cousins! Luckily, Aunt Katie is a hero and didn’t bat an eye when I asked her to pick up pizza on the way!! After everyone left, we took a great big family nap. I think we were all physically and emotionally tired.  Your mama and daddy grew up with the family tradition of the birthday boy/girl choosing their birthday supper meal. We carried on that tradition with you. You told me you wanted pizza again ;) We ate at a tiny little place in Buford – SO GOOD! People loved you in your sweet little birthday shirt. When we got home, you had NO desire to go to bed at your normal 7:00 bed time. You were in such a happy mood, so we let you stay up until 8:30, just enjoying our time with you and all of your new toys.

this sums up how present opening went...

the best looking lumberjacks i've EVER seen.

up wayyyy past bedtime.

mommy and daddy were more interested in toys than you were.

number one way to scare mama? put your finger in a flame.

Uncle CoCo & Aunt Kate tried so hard to get you to walk!

opening presents before it was time

not sure who this lady is?

You are growing by leaps and bounds, little one. You haven’t started walking yet, but oh man are you trying. Everyone around us is encouraging you to walk. Maybe it makes me a bad mama, but I’m not. I feel like that’s the last part of my “baby” that I’m hanging on to. That once you start walking, you become a toddler, and I’m just not ready for that. So what if I trip you up every time you try to walk (kidding)? You still love saying dada – all.the.time. Every now and then, you’ll throw in a mama. You’ve got nigh-nigh, bah-bah, bye-bye, and Doug down pat (doug is your stuffed dog, who you ADORE. Yeah, I named him doug. So what?). You’ve got babble that sounds a lot like please and thank you – you even say it at the right times! My absolute FAVORITE thing you do is reach for me. It melts this ole’ mama’s heart when stretch out those fat little arms. And when you throw in a mama? Baby boy, you can have any single thing you want. My other favorite (I have lots of favorites – you’re pretty cute, little guy)? When you say your blessing. You fold your little sausage fingers around each other and close your eyes – so precious.

I’ll wrap up this incredibly long post by telling you what I tell you every day. I love you more than life itself, handsome baby. I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter baby to make me a mama. You’ve pushed me to be more than I thought I could be, and love more than I dreamed imaginable without even trying. This first year has been a crazy whirlwind, one that we’ve loved {almost} every minute of. Every night, as I lay your sweet self in your crib, I pray with you. Among other things, I pray most of all that God would protect your heart, direct your path, and that His love for you shines through your daddy and I, as we guide you to Him.

Happy birthday, sweet boy. Here’s to many, many more!