Happy First Birthday, Grayson!

One year ago today, our youngest son was born. Our family of four became complete as Dr. C placed Grayson Andrew on my belly and confirmed that he, indeed, was a boy:)

Twelve months seems like a long time, but I can remember so many details of that hospital stay. I remember pacing the halls trying to speed up my contractions and dilation to reassure that I truly was in real labor. I remember texting friends and family letting them know I was actually, for sure, going to deliver Grayson. I remember the pain because my epidural didn’t work properly and only numbed one side of my body. I remember not being able to breath when the epidural went too far up my back. I remember being told one minute that it wasn’t yet time to push, but less than 15 minutes later he was born. I remember being scared at first because he wasn’t crying, but then reassured that he truly was breathing and just fine. I remember Grayson meeting his big brother for the first time. I remember helping the nurse bathe him for the first time and then watching the nurses perform his hearing test. I remember nursing him in my hospital room while I stared out the window and watched the snow fall. I remember watching sections of High School Musical each time he needed to be fed in the middle of the night. I remember being visited by Kelsey, Melinda, Chad and Angie, Becca and Nick, The Vosberg Family, Marie and Katie, my sister, Henry, and Ella, and Holly. I remember that on the way home from the birth of BOTH of my boys, we stopped at the Carter’s Outlet store!

Fast forward to now, and I write to remember a year from now. I want to remember being able to rock him to sleep. I want to remember having to hold him while he drinks out of his sippy cups. I want to remember his smile as he accomplishes so many new things like RUNNING. I want to remember that this week, he cut his ninth and tenth tooth and stopped drinking out of a bottle. While I dislike it now, I want to remember having to comfort him in the middle of the night because of his ear pain. I want to remember that I was ABLE to comfort him. I want to remember the pure joy on his face when he opened up his gifts...not because of the gifts themselves but because of the tissue and wrapping. I want to remember that inquisitive look as he played with, but didn’t eat, his birthday cake. I want to remember that he HATES to be changed right now and squirms all over the place. I want to remember that he absolutely LOVES bath time-perhaps even more than Griffin ever did. I want to remember that in October 2009, he wasn’t so sure he liked being pushed in a swing, but yesterday he couldn’t get enough of it. I want to remember how ticklish he is. I want to remember that devilish grin he gets on his face when he does something he knows he isn’t supposed to do. I want to remember how much he ADORES Griffin.

I remember and want to remember quite a bit, and I hope it stays that way in the future.

Happy First Birthday, Grayson!