William's 1st Birthday!

Well, my baby is one now. And I don't even hardly remember what life was like before his sweet little face showed up. My guess is that life was a lot quieter, there were more dull moments, and I went everywhere by myself, including the bathroom ;) But it somehow feels like he's always been a part of our lives and when I look back it feels like something is missing without him.

Now that I'm a year into Motherhood, postpartum is definitely behind me now (thank the Lord), and we're more and more everyday just settling into life I have to say that it's been such an amazing and beautiful journey.

I almost feel hesitant to say this but being a mom has come so naturally to me and overall it hasn't been hard, neither was it a huge drastic adjustment in my life. The reason I feel hesitant to share that is because often the way motherhood is portrayed is that you have to put your life on hold for the kids, and the realities women face are the opposite of what I have experienced and so I almost felt guilty for how easy it all has been.

I had heard so many stories and women saying how hard the newborn stage is, and then the toddler stage, and so on and so forth. But something in me said that it didn't have to be that way, sure there are hard days along the way just like with any new season in life, but I feel like so often motherhood is portrayed as this perpetually long season of hardship and being tied down.

And as a non baby person who was worried what life would be like on the other side, I'm here to say that it is totally what you make it and that it can be the most beautiful and enriching experience if that's what you seek to find in it.

And while some things do happen outside of our control, so much of what we face, and how we interpret life (hard or easy) has to do with our mindset and outlook on life. And for me I approached motherhood (birth and postpartum) with the mindset to win. I was determined I would face and work through whatever challenges I had to and would find a way in order to be the mom I aspired to be. So please don't hear me bragging, but hear me saying how motherhood doesn't have to be that exhausting experience that we have often been conditioned to dread, quite the opposite as it can feed your soul in a way you didn't even know was possible.

I believe Motherhood is one of the highest callings for a woman, however that was not always my mindset. It was a long journey to get to this place in my heart and it wasn't until William was born that I actually felt ready. It's a beautiful, raw, and real season of life where we get to give life to another human and then nourish them, love them, and teach them how to be a good person and follow God. No, it may not always offer immediate rewards and trophies on earth, but you better bet that God sees every sleepless night, every diaper change, and every time you pour out into your little person when you have nothing left to give. And He will reward you.

As for William, it's been an absolute joy getting to watch him grow from a tiny 6lb, 6oz baby to a 23.4 pound little chunk.

He is quite the little extrovert! He loves people, loves to be in on the action, and doesn't want to miss out on stuff. One of his favorite things to do is listen to music with Dad as they spin around in circles in the living room. If he likes the song he raises one hand, if he really likes the song both of his hands go up and it's the most precious thing ever!

He still nurses for the main portion of his diet, but I've noticed he's starting to eat more at each sitting when it's meal time. I still feed him mainly just proteins and fats, with some vegetables and fruit, and minimal carbs. And he's pretty much always running around with an apple slice in his hand munching away and leaving little chunks behind him.

He's walking everywhere and I have a feeling he'll be running before too long. He seems to have an eye for detail and can find the tiniest things in the floor or outside on the ground and then proceeds to pick them up for investigation. His favorite toys are anything that is not specifically a baby toy, and bonus points if it's something of Dad's such as work tools.

He says Dat, Mama, bye, hey, night night, doh (that's what he says as his "one word fits all") and we just know what he means in that moment. Sometimes he'll repeat after us and say a new word but usually only says it once. However he is always chatting and telling us little stories!

And this is his little friend Ezra who is four months younger, but the same size as William haha!! :)

For his birthday we got together with some friends and went up to a lake and had a grill out.

It was an absolutely beautiful day and although if we're honest first birthdays are more for the adults ;) he had such a blast and I think he felt all the love and knew we were celebrating him.

We didn't even plan it but as it turned out his birthday was motorcycle themed and he loved that!

He went for his first motorcycle ride with Dad!! He had such a blast and was asking to go for another ride when they got back. At first I don't think he quite knew what to think but you can see as the photos progress he's got a big smile on that little face!!

And I think it left quite the impression because now he's making motorcycle sounds for everything haha!

I absolutely love being this little boy's mama, but what I just might love more is watching David be a father which he does exceedingly well. William absolutely adores his Dad and that is so precious to me and warms my heart more than I can even say. I almost think that he likes daddy more than me sometimes haha. William misses his Dad when he's gone for a night or two at work, and his little eyes light up and he reaches out his little arms to him when he sees him come in the room. It's so important for children to have their father be present in their lives.

So here's a free tip of marriage advice: marry a man you would be proud of to have a son that turned out like him. That's what I did and I thank the Lord every day for my boys. :)