a birthday

Yesterday morning, it struck me - how happy I was to be starting my day playing with blocks and balloons on the living room floor, in my pajamas, with cheerios stuck to the bottom of my socks, listening to squeals and babbles, as the sun was rising outside my windows, lighting up the sky on what was promising to be a beautiful day, and a beautiful year...

Stephen was able to come home from the hospital surprisingly early yesterday, so I wasn't to spend my birthday morning without hugs and kisses. He sweetly gifted me everything I've been wanting to finish sprucing up our home, and now you'll have to suffer through another 'home tour' blog post. My cousin came by in the morning, Starbucks in hand, and I got to spend an hour immersed in girl talk (which, I might add, is highly cherished after days and days of baby talk). After a short FaceTime date with my mom, we headed off to church. You guys, Sunday is the best day to have a birthday! One, because you get to use the "it's my birthday week" excuse for the whole rest of the week, which means the fun doesn't end at midnight. And, two, because praising God through song and listening to a deep, convicting sermon is such a powerful way to start your day and your mind set for a new year! I felt so uplifted and excited, refreshed and ready to go. We spent the next few hours relaxing as a family - napping, eating, lounging, playing - days with the three of us together, no text books, aren't too common, so I cherish the simple, quiet times most of all. In the late afternoon we bundled up for a walk outside in the fresh air. It had been snowing large and beautiful snowflakes for the past hour, so the air was extra crisp and cool. And even though it was cold outside, we couldn't resist getting frozen yogurt downtown. It was my birthday, after all. After more snuggling and playing and bath time, we had breakfast for dinner (per my request, per usual) and discovered that Uriah loves pancakes quiet possibly more than I do and can eat one before we've taken two bites of ours. Stephen and I were impressed and in a fit of laughs watching him scarf one bite after the other. "Is he even breathing?!" After the little man had been put to bed, Stephen and I watched 'About Time' - an evening movie in bed with Stephen is my choice way to spend any night. It was such a sweet movie and very appropriate for the end of my birthday (I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't seen it, but it does come highly recommended by me!).

Laying in bed not too long after the movie was over, I told Stephen that I think I reached the age were birthdays are just like any other day. And that makes it seem like I think twenty four is old or boring, or that I had complaints from my birthday, none of which are true. Despite the fact that I cleaned no dishes and changed no dirty diapers (thank you, Stephen!) it was much like any other Sunday, which I kind of loved. It was just us. So simple. It was calming, content and peaceful. Just what I needed, maybe, to program my mind and my heart for the next year - for all that we have planned, all that we want to do, and for all the things we don't want to do that will happen to us anyway because that's just life... It was just the most perfect way to end twenty three and start twenty four.