Wow! I can't believe our baby boy is ONE already!! Life is going by so fast and at times I feel like I can't keep up. I try and savor each moment knowing they are going by in a flash. It has been an incredible year with the gift of joy we have been given. It's crazy now that he is one I can look back on the year and remember all the JOY! There were times of extreme depression and sadness and I felt like it was always going to be like that I would look back and remember pain. God is amazing because I DONT! I say that now with the biggest smile and tears of happiness!! God has allowed me to remember the laughs, the smiles, all the amazing firsts, the arms of my child reaching out for me. It over clouds the hard times. And when I remember those times, I think about God's GOODNESS, his GRACE. He let something bloom in the desert and ran a river of love through my valley!! Most beautiful year of my life and I look forward to my life ahead and what God has in store for my little Noah.
(I plan on blogging about the year-good times and the hard. At the time it was just too difficult to write. But I had amazing people reach out to help me and I want to return the favor. Also, I learned tips and tricks for children with clefts through research and hopefully that will help someone else too.)
Here are pictures from Noah’s first birthday celebration. We did a nautical theme b/c that’s what his room is and I could just take the decorations from it. Hah
The board reads:
I am 1
21 pounds
30.5 inches long
Our little MONKEY
Full of LAUGHS and SMILES
Climbs on EVERYTHING!
Learning to walk
LOVES to GROWL
1st Word: MAMA
favorite things:
when daddy comes home
bath time
chuggington
Bailey(our dog)
Twinkle Twinkle
waving
I HAVE 7 TEETH!
What a man! What a mighty good man! I can not even begin to put into words how thankful I am of this man. This is Chris's grandfather Shirah. He is one of the most caring, strong, hardworking and godly men I know. I am so thankful of the man he is b/c Chris's father is like him and in turn now is Chris. Im not sure if it started with him or not but it does somewhere. It just takes one good man to change the history men in their family.
The whole family! Chris's family from Alabama and Florida came in Town. His 2 aunts on the far right(who helped me get ready for the party-thank you!!, grand Shirahs on the far top right, Chris McIntosh in the green(she flew in from Texas bless her heart!!), granny mac middle blue(whom I can't wait to teach Noah some German!), his aunt and uncle in the green, brother bottom far left and his parents top left.
My mother and grandmother are in the middle. My brother-in-law and his kids were here earlier in the day.
I really wish I would have gotten a group photo like this of all of our friends who were there!! We are so blessed to have such great friensd in our lives. It's an area that keeps blooming and we are overjoyed. Many of them have at least one child around Noahs age so It is such a blessing we are getting to do life together. I once read to never get to busy for people. Engaging in each others lives is so important and I would not have been able to get through the year without the words of wisdom, encouragement and prayer of every person that was there. So if you are reading this know how much you are loved and appreciated!!
CAKE SMASH:
Let's just say he LOVED the cake! I mean what child would not?! But I am proud that we was willing to share with me. And yes mean mommy gave him his first cake in the face on the bottom-before you judge me he did not mind. Ill let him do it to me-maybe?
Radom snapshots:
poor baby Mason
Alex and baby Emmie
Sweet mommy Brittney and baby Gracelynn
Noah and cousin Jordan (6 months apart)
Addie with Noah. She is such a sweetheart and so good with my little boy. (And did I mention how beautiful she is?!)
DECORATIONS:
Publix Cake and the free smash cake for Noah
The card on the table has an important meaning to me. It was made by two women I don't know in prison. One woman drew the bear and boat and another colored it using only candy wrappers,water and a little deodorant. How amazing!! Mostly that they would do this for someone they don't know and to take care and patience to do it right. They made something out of nothing and It was the best gift to me! It shows me of GODs love and that it's being felt even in the hardest and darkest places. Everyone wants to give and recieve love. We should never be quick to forget it. Nobody is too far gone to recieve the love of our father and know his children love them too.
So I am going to end it on that note and say that Noah- you are so LOVED! What I love most about you is that you are ALWAYS full of laughs and smiles. You LOVE people. You love to reach out and give hugs and a big smile. You brighten everyones day. You make me live in JOY. I thank you for being my little blessing and I am so excited to be apart of your life-just don't do it so fast!!
