So this is a little late (okay six months late) but trying to catch up again.
Aaron had a small party the day before he turned one. It started as a big party then plans changed about 5 times. It was perfect. Just small and family. Stephen and I did not exactly know how we would feel that day and decided small was the way to go if we (okay, really just me) were emotional wrecks.
Sassy made A his very own drum set. It was his favorite gift. He still plays with it six months later:
Auntie Mo made the banner
Mommy and A
Birthday boy:
This spoon was tasty
We had burgers and fixins. Perfect for a summer birthday
Present time!
A bike from Cap and T!! His favorite part was the bell on it:
The party goers: Cap, T, Auntie Mo, Aunt KK, Sassy, mommy and daddy:
Love this one of him:
A water table from KK:
Big Cliff from Auntie Mo:
Watched a slide show that I made of the year. Cue the tears:
The "cake". So I did make a cake. It was my first true cake disaster. Amazingly I did not cry. Batter Up Bake Shop to the rescue. Jenny gave me these cupcakes from her freezer and I scraped the icing off the cake and piped it quickly on the cupcakes
Mommy, Daddy and the birthday boy
He ate the whole cupcake! and then licked his hands
Yum Yum!
The month of July was hard. Not going to lie. For me, when we were in the hospital and everything was so unknown, I wondered over and over if I would get to see him in his highchair eating his birthday cake a year later. That was the moment I wanted so desperately to see. So to me his birthday was a big deal. We also had to experience the anniversaries of all those major days we had lived through the year before. The day he was born, his echo, his surgery, the day he finally went home. You would think it would be all joy but it was also a month of grieving what we had been through. Stephen and I talked several times saying "Now what?" Our whole goal had been to get him to his first birthday healthy. We did that. We were at a loss. Felt like it was time to transition our thinking from survival to parenting a healthy toddler. Having to admit that is one of the reasons I put off posting this. But I wanted to get it posted so its documented. We loved his birthday and every minute celebrating a healthy boy. We also go to pay off his medical bills that month. Which was a HUGE blessing. So nice to not have those little envelopes from UMC every other day.
" For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord" Psalm 117:2
