On Your First… June 7, 2013
Dear Adele, One year ago today, we got the news that you were on your way into the world. I was induced on June 7, 2012. It took twenty-one hours from entering the hospital until the moment you were born. Tomorrow at 9:49am, you will be turning one.
I honestly can not believe it has been a year. Those first few weeks seemed like a black hole we would never climb out of. On one particular day in the beginning, I remember a friend telling me everything gets better when the baby is 6-weeks. I remember doing the math and saying out loud: “That’s forty-two days away!” And I didn’t think I would make it.
It’s true what they say, the days are long but the years are short. Looking back, I realize we not only survived the first year, but we conquered it. And what an incredible year it has been.
We’re long past the witching hours, the endless rocking, the swaddling, breastfeeding, 4am wake ups, the spit ups, burping, playmats, bouncy seats, MamaRoo swings, white noise and purees. One year later, we’ve graduated to an almost-walking curious toddler who loves pasta, cheese, yogurt, bananas, vegetables, soup and more. She puts herself to sleep, only takes one short nap a day, and is starting to talk to us all day long. She has friends, opinions, preferences and a personality. She has a giggle and a smile that can light up a room. She went from a newborn to a person.
I am SAD my baby is growing up.
I am PROUD of what she’s already accomplished in 12 short months.
I am IMPRESSED at how much she’s capable of already.
I am TERRIFIED of what the toddler years will bring me.
I am EXCITED to learn right along side her.
I am IN LOVE with this little girl and so thankful she is mine.
Adele, I hope you keep learning, exploring and pushing your boundaries. I hope you continue to seek out the things that make you happy (whether it be a favorite toy, or opening and closing the kitchen drawers over and over again.) I hope you know you can always rely on daddy and me for help and assistance, but I hope you develop the independence you desire to figure things out on your own.
I look forward to another fantastic year with you. A year that will bring you more travel, sesame street for the first time, play-doh, walking, running, trick-or-treating, swimming, tea parties, dress up and jungle gyms. A year of using a fork and spoon, coloring, talking in fragmented sentences, riding a tricycle and dancing.
Although I am sad I no longer have a newborn or an infant, I take solace in the wisdom of my friends who tell me ‘it only gets better and better’. Bring it on, year two! We are ready!
For posts on my Pregnancy, click here!
For posts on Adele month to month, click here!
Documenting the First Year June 6, 2013
In my Mommy-and-Me class a couple of weeks ago, I asked my instructor (very seriously) how I could cope with my emotions as my baby turns 1. A few minutes later, I burst into tears. I really don’t know why this is such an emotional time for me (maybe it is for everyone?). She told me that it’s ok to feel sad about it and the way to deal with the big day is to celebrate it and make a big deal out of it. Bring attention to the fact that it IS a big day, a big transition and a big milestone. Then she recommended that I also try to jot down a few of my favorite memories from the past year so I remember them later. I resisted laughing out loud because documenting Adele’s life is sort of an obsession of mine. I just smiled and nodded. At least I know I have that part covered!
So I wanted to share all the ways I’ve documented our first year as a family of three. Perhaps I’m a bit neurotic, but knowing I have all these keepsakes brings me peace.
PHOTOS AND VIDEOS <– I could write a whole post just on this!
This is, by far, the most important way to document your kids. I always have my FlipCamera (Videos are important too!) accessible and my DSLR camera charged and ready to go. Always. It’s rare that a day goes by when I don’t take at least one picture. I also purchased a camera bag so there would be no excuses for not bringing it along on our adventures. And if I forget my camera, my cell phone camera can work in a pinch. But take. those. pictures.
Side note: BACK UP YOUR VIDEOS AND PICTURES! Don’t leave them on the camera chip or on your phone. Get them on to your computer, burned to CDs, uploaded to a cloud, whatever you have to do to make sure you don’t lose them. I organize all my photos monthly and then label and archive them accordingly. SO important!!
Side note #2: Print the pictures! Display them! Put them in albums, get them on the wall, put them in frames, mail hard copies to family, put them on the fridge, etc.
THIS BLOG
90% of my photos make it onto my blog. The main purpose is to share them with family and friends, but it also serves as an archive for me to look back on. I love going through old posts and seeing how much Adele has grown. This is an outlet to share stories and details that I might otherwise forget.
And bonus: each post gets archived in my gmail account so if (god forbid) I lose my pictures or my blog crashes, I have all of them backed up in another location.
BABY BOOK
I’ve kept up with her baby book since Day 1. I am a little a lot OCD and the thought of having a half-completed baby book makes me dizzy. It has to be complete! So I make it a priority each month to fill in the appropriate pages, mark which teeth have come in, how much she weighs each month, note the first day she crawled, etc. Maybe she’ll want to share that info with her own kids someday to compare? I also make sure to print actual photos and literally paste them in there so I have the visuals along with the stats.
INDEX CARD CALENDAR
Remember that index card calendar I started on the day she was born? Haven’t missed a day yet. I leave it out in my living room so I remember to add in a line about each day, every day. I can’t believe I’m about to start over this weekend with year 2 of her life! This has been a fun project that I hope to continue til she’s a teenager!
JOURNAL
I also have a traditional journal that I’ve been keeping since I found out I was pregnant. I write in it a couple of times a month to capture important events and stories. I also use it to tell her a little bit about me and Irving’s history as well.
KEEPSAKE BOX
I have a small plastic shoebox that I store museum ticket stubs, my favorite onsies, her hospital hat, cards people send to her and other tangible reminders of her baby years. I don’t save a ton of things, just a few of my favorites.
YEARLY PHOTOBOOK
And the capstone of commemorating Adele’s first year will come in the form of a Shutterfly photobook. I have yet to organize and create it, but I hope to have it done by the end of June. Hopefully I’ll be able to make one for her each year capturing the best of each month as she grows.
I love preserving our family’s legacy and writing our story. I hope it paints a beautiful picture of Adele’s life that she will someday look back on and be thankful for. Happy Birthday, Darling. I love you.
First Class Mail June 5, 2013
If there’s anyone who loves the post office more than me…. it’s my daughter.
A Pink Comparison June 2, 2013
Only a true “Adele Photographic Expert” would probably notice, but I was patting myself on the back for this. We used the same backdrop for Adele’s first professional pictures as we did for her 1-year photos! Such a difference a year makes! (Totally a coincidence, but I just realized she’s wearing a pink skirt in both pictures too!)
4 WEEKS OLD
ONE YEAR OLD
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