Happy Birthday Baby Davie!!!!!

It's my baby boy's 1st birthday!!!!!

I cannot believe the year has already gone by!!! Hmm, lets make this interesting--

Top 10 things I have learned this year:

1. Being a mother is extremely difficult!!! More than you could ever know until you are living it. People warned me while I was pregnant, but I didn't truly understand until I experienced it.
2. Sometimes babies just cry. Even if they are fed, clean, well-rested... they just CRY sometimes and there is nothing you can do about it.
3. Going out is almost more trouble than it is worth! Whether you are bringing the baby or leaving the baby, it is always a challenge!!! 
4. Kinda more of a part B to #3- Keeping in touch with friends is also difficult while taking care of a baby. Thank God for Facebook, or I have no idea how I would keep up with any of the happenings in people's lives!!!
5. Being a stay-at-home-mom is NO picnic!!! I expected to play with Davie some, watch TV, chill while Davie naps, etc... but NOPE! It is not that easy! In fact, I would say that being a SAHM is more difficult than my job as a RN!!!
6. Breastfeeding is the most frustrating, annoying, painful thing ever!!! For something that is supposed to be SOOO natural (God gave us breasts to nourish our young), it is soooo hard! Yes, it has possibly been the biggest challenge this year, but with the greatest reward. I am SOOO happy that I stuck it out and breastfed the entire first year. There is nothing that compares to the bond between mother and child while breastfeeding. I think of all the things I've accomplished this year nursing Davie is the thing I am the most proud of. I wanted to make it 6 months, and I loved it so much I lasted 12! So sad to see this relationship end soon, but ready to move on.
7. FERBERIZE your baby if they do not sleep well!!!!! The Ferber method saved my life!!! I did not even remember what it felt like to sleep well until we Ferber trained Davie!!! Life got 1000000 times better afterwards!!! Read the book, b/c most people assume it is just letting them cry-- but that is not the idea. If you are interested I would love to help!!!
8. Teething IS THE WORST THING EVER!!! I heard rumors that some babies don't even miss a beat while teething--- good for them-- Davie was not one of those babies. He is SO fussy and aggravating while he is teething. I know it is b/c he is miserable, but there is almost nothing we as parents can do for him other than Advil & frozen teething devices!! It sucks!!!
9. When you have a baby, you will memorize, and find yourself humming, EVERY SONG that his toys sing. I know every lyric and every tune to every one of his toys. I find myself humming "Oh where oh where has my little dog gone" at least twice a day. And "If you're happy and you know it" probably 10 times a day. 
10. And lastly... even though there are many challenges attached, there is nothing that compares to the love you have for your child. I fell in love with him the minute I saw him, and that love just grows and grows. Sometimes I look at his beautiful face and just burst into tears of joy knowing that he is my baby and I get to love him forever. It's a different kind of love than you feel for your parents, friends, siblings, and husband. It is a love that never dies and it is something that you will get SOOO worked up over sometimes. When I watch the news or t.v. and something bad happens to someones child I usually cannot help but cry b/c I always put myself in their shoes. I would kill anyone who ever hurt my son and I would die for him if I needed to. Never thought I would ever say that and mean it, but it is true. I would do anything for my son. I love him so much. 

Here are 10 of my favorite pictures from the year:

Welcome to the world baby Davie!

Snuggling with Mason on the pink blanket!

One of those first smiles!!!

Bright Eyes!

Enjoying the Park!

Oops!!! It's the Jumper-Poo incident!!!

Snuggling mama at the park!

The minute I was outside mama's belly longer than inside!

Grabbing the camera!

Turning ONE today!!!

Today to celebrate his birthday we are taking Davie to the Zoo!!! His Nana & Pops drove up from Melbourne along with his Uncle Baby Naffin' and his g/f Jenn (All the way from NYC!!!) Davie has "kinda" been to the Zoo once (at 5 months we all went to Animal Kingdom) so I guess I can't say this is his first Zoo trip, but the first one he's going to actually enjoy I think!!! lol. So I am really excited and ready for him to wake up from his nap so we can leave!!!

The big PARTAY is tomorrow. Soooooooooo excited!!! He loved swimming last weekend, so hopefully the big crowd doesn't make him too shy to enjoy it tomorrow! Kinda sad b/c not one of Davie's "baby" friends can make it to his party... but I guess we still have a ton of family going and Leila has 3 babies coming. I guess Davie just isn't very popular. lol. Oh well! Not like he's gonna know what's going on anyways. And I'm sure if he could speak, he would say, "I am going to have fun as long as my mommy is by my side". At least I imagine that's what he would say b/c he is SUCH a mama's boy!!! I just hope I don't forget to pick up his cake tonight!!! Can't wait to post party pix tomorrow!!! Yay!!!