a birthday party

On Saturday, Stephen and I threw Uriah his first birthday party! While, let's be honest, it was really more for the adults, he enjoyed playing with his friends and new toys, and I love that he'll have these pictures to look back on! My parents, sister, brother-in-law and niece drove up from Pocatello (which we were so incredibly grateful for!) and our friends, old and new, came over to help celebrate our little man! All week Uriah had been spoiled with cards and gifts and phone calls, this celebration was the perfect way to end year one and kick start the next! 

^^ Carrot cake, our favorite! Our wedding cake was carrot! 

Also, homemade. As I'm sure you can tell ;) ^^

^^ Also homemade, carrot cake cupcakes for the guests! ^^

^^ The longer it gets, the curlier it gets! I'm hoping for some serious ringlets! ^^

^^ Our most perfect, handsome birthday king ^^

^^ Yes, he hated it! Too much pressure with everyone watching, I think. He was ok with the blueberries, but wasn't interested in touching the frosting, and when we put his hand in it for him, he lost it! Once we were holding him and some of the pressure was off, he did actually like the cake, though! ^^

^^ Thief! ;) ^^

^^ My new friend Bria and her sweetest Vivian! These two are going to be Valentines! ^^

^^ Dallin and Whitney were our friends in Anchorage, before Kate and Uriah came along! We moved down to Seattle together and then here to Boise (literally together, sharing a Uhaul with our babes next to each other in the back seat!) We have loved getting to share this medical school, new parent phase with them! ^^

^^ And the post party, hotel party - pizza, swimming and Harper teaching Uriah to jump on the bed! Love watching these two together! ^^

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There is so much anticipation built up around a child's first year of life, and rightfully so. Their first words and their first steps and their first...everything! But now it's over. I'm not a "new" mom anymore, my baby, while still very much my baby, is looking and acting more like a toddler. It's so sad, but yet, so, so happy and exciting - It went by so fast, yet so slow, too. How is that?

Looking through pictures of Uriah's birth and then all my snapshots up until now, I was thinking how badly I want to do it all over again. How I would hold him longer, kiss him more, slow down a little, cherish the long nights and fussy teething stages, because even on those long hard days, he's still my baby and won't be my baby for long. People tell you to do that, people tell you it goes by far too quickly, but I just sort of waved it off and thought, "I got this, I know what I'm doing. I need to take a shower and get the dishes done, I won't regret letting him nap in his crib instead of holding him." But he doesn't nap in my arms any more, and I miss that... While having another baby (wanting one now, more than ever) will give me the chance to do it all over again, it will never be Uriah again. It'll be the same, but it won't be the same at all. And while I understand the excitement and anticipation that is built up for a child's first year, I don't want that to go away just because January 31st came and went. This was a big day, an important day, this was my child's first birthday. But tomorrow, he will be one and four days. He will be older and maybe a little bigger. Tomorrow he could say a new word, start sleeping through his 5 am feeding, learn to sign "eat", or crawl down the stairs. Tomorrow is just as important as yesterday, as today. This child, my Uriah, is a gift from God, and I am going to treat him and his life just so, like a gift. Like the gift I prayed and waited and hoped for. The gift I worried and cried over. Uriah's whole life is a first birthday to me, new and fun and special and just for him.