Mama G + Three

Happy Birthday Peanut Butter!

During your first few weeks home...I would call you peanut butter. I don't know why - but I did and you didn't seem to mind.

I can't believe a year has passed. Well, let me take that back....I can. All I need to do is look at your walking around the living room - and I can see how much you've grown - how much I have grown - how much we all have grown. I think your big brother, Nate has more grey hairs than your Dad and I put together - especially since you started to crawl. But you do love him and now yell "Doggy" when you see him. It's adorable.

I really don't have the words that speak of sleepless nights and stressful "parenting" moments. You were...simply put - amazing these last 12 months. Yes...some days were stressful - but you were and are a rock star. I look back and think of those stressful times - I would laugh at those days now. Those weren't stressful - they were just unfamiliar to me and us.

You have taught me and your Dad so much. I'm a better person as a Mom, than not. You have taught me so many things about myself and life. You are my world. I often say, "Mom" looks good on me...just because you add so much to me and my life.

Every day - things change. You change and we change. We are growing and learning together. Wow, I can remember when we first got you home - you kept peeing through your diaper. The light finally came on and your Dad and I looked at each other and said "He needs a bigger diaper!" It was such a proud moment when we figured it out.

And that time leaving for your first check-up, you were just a few days old. I looked at your Dad and said "Should we bring a diaper bag?" And we did. I carried an almost empty, huge SkipHop diaper bag into your Doctors office - containing a single diaper and container of wipes.  I look back, thinking - what rookies we were! But heck - not anymore, Buddy. We are all-stars now!

Watching the Bruins win the Stanley Cup, watching the Royal Wedding, Pumping at all hours of the day and night, feedings, changing, more pumping, more feedings. Your first time in the pool, our first time leaving you, your first crawl...and most recently - your first step! All these ... memories - good and some stressful - but they are memories we will never forget. I will never forget the breakfast brought to me by my Dad almost every day for the first - oh... 8 weeks or so. The support from my Mom and Husband. The love and gifts from my Sister....it was all a blessing to have them here. I'm lucky.

I don't know how many times your Dad and I have looked at each other and said "he's awesome" and you are. And though you won't remember this first year - we will and we will continue to document these crazy, blissful, beautiful memories...one day at a time.

We did it. We did it together - learning along the way. Here's to another year!

You are amazing.

Your are ONE!

Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet boy.

I love you!

...WALKER!



Happy Sunday!

In one week - my son will be a year old.

In one week - I will have a one year old.

In one week - I will think about the day he was born.

In one week - I will pat myself on the back for a job well done.

In one week - I will cry.

In one week - I will I will celebrate.

This morning, after I put IV down for his morning nap - I looked out our front door to see the sun, finally shinning down on the almond tree in our front yard.

Saturday night - Easter Eve...something hit me...emotionally. I realized and felt the joy that my parents felt every Holiday or birthday. The joy of setting up a gift or surprise for us to wake up to in the morning. And although IV is only 11 months old and doesn't "get it"...we got it and we loved it. 

This weekend is Easter! Which as many of you know, holds a very special place in my heart. It's always been my FAVORITE holiday, I guess of course when I was little, I'm positive it was Christmas. But for a long time, it's always been Easter.

My sweet boy came into the world on April 24th, 2011 - Easter Sunday. At 6am, my water broke and I called my Mom and told her not to put the Easter Ham in the oven.

With that said - I'm very excited to enjoy Easter brunch this year and celebrate this special day.

IV's Easter basket was easy peasy - I found so many cute things to put in it. He sadly gets a new "something" every week - so I was happy to find so many things for this basket.

This past weekend - we had to child proof the house. Yes, we did the electrical outlets before even bringing IV home - but never the cabinets and drawers.

It was time.

Today is a very special day - It's my Dad's birthday!

He goes by JaJu, which is polish...and IV adores him.

Yesterday we took IV to the Aquarium for the first time. Needless to say, he loved it.

I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous about spending the entire day in Boston. In 11 months, we've never really done a day trip like this. I'm a schedule FREAK. IV must stay in his nap and (just a little) his eating schedule. So normally, we'd wait until after his morning nap to go anywhere - that puts us at about 11:30 - noon. We never want to risk the chance that he didn't take his morning nap in the car. But we bit the bullet and said "let's give it a whirl." It couldn't have gone any better. By the time we left Dunkin' Donuts, IV was sleeping and we were on the road. And when parked at the Aquarium, he was awake.

It was perfect.

After waiting in line for about 20 minutes, we were finally in the Aquarium.

*all pictures taken in almost complete darkness in the aquarium and through one inch glass tanks. I'm pleased that I was able to capture the amazingness of these creatures.