Hadley Spot: 1 Year Ago...

Looks who's 1!

I can't believe we are parents to a one year old! Yesterday we celebrated Drake's first birthday and I couldn't help but cry my happy tears! I can't even express how much joy and happiness he has brought us! I can't help but think of the day he was born, it seems like is wasn't so long ago. I remember going to the hospital with my mom and Brett early in the morning hoping that it was finally the day. The nurse told me that I was having contractions but nothing was changing. She gave me the options to either go home and wait some more or to walk around the hospital for an hour just to see if anything would change. Brett went to work, because he thought it was another false alarm (since I'd already dragged him to the hospital 3 or 4 times with contractions). I remember walking with my mom and begging her to pray hard that he would come today. I also remember worrying because I was so scared I'd be sent home again. But, as I walked around the outside of the hospital the contractions started to get really intense and I just kept praying in my head that these contractions were real and this was the day. Finally we went back to the room to be checked out again and we were so relieved and excited to find out I was in active labor! I remember being surprisingly calm through out the process. The only time I remember losing it was when we were waiting for the anesthesiologist and the pain became too much for me. I started to hyperventilate and my lips and fingers went numb which was a very scary and weird feeling. I have such respect for those who can do it all natural, but I don't think I'm cut out for that sort of thing, especially when my baby was over 9 lbs! I told them my birth plan was drugs, drugs, and more drugs! Everything after the epidural was amazing! I didn't experience a single contraction from then on out! I even broke out into giggles when I started to push! I felt so dumb that I had the giggles, seriously who does that?! But the nurse laughed and told me it was all good since laughing used pretty much the same muscles as the ones I use to push. Then the doctor arrived and 15 minutes later Drake was here. He came out fighting and screaming, but he was finally here! Everyone was shocked at his size! One lady at the hospital even told me he looks like he's a month old already because of his size and the amount of hair he had! I was expecting this wrinkly squished looking kid, but he wasn't. I thought he was a beautiful chunky boy! Even though I got what felt like a million stitches after he was born and I wasn't able to sit for weeks, he was worth it! I loved every moment of the day he was born. We have loved MOST of the moments from the last year (I say most because I can't say we enjoyed the ear infections and teething). We love this kid so much!

This is what happens when you ask Drake for a kiss. Watch out ladies!

So Drakes birthday party was a success! We just had some friends and family over to help us celebrate. I've been planning decorations and all that for a month or so now and I was so happy with how everything turned out. I made most of the party decorations which I loved doing because it gave me something constructive to do during nap time and at night. My mom and I also made him a cute onesie for the occasion! Drake woke up to a brand new bike with balloons and a book that Brett and I made for him. Of course he immediately had to test out the bike and push it around. We even took him on a little ride outside. Then we set up the party and ate lots of junk food, which Drake was super excited about since he hasn't had many sweets before. He devoured the cupcake as well as jelly beans and M&M's. Then to make him even sicker my brother decided to sneak him tons of frosting out of my mixing bowl during the party. After the party we took him on a bike ride in his new bike trailer with my brother and his wife. Then he rode his new bike to the park and we played their until he finally had a sugar crash just in time for bedtime. What an awesome day!

Getting ready to ride in his new bike trailer...

We love our sweet one year old! A few recent milestones- he's walking, he mastered the stairs (up and down), he can give kisses and hugs, we think he's saying Elmo but he says it more like "melmo", he says "mamama" and "dadada", he claps when I sing Patty Cake, he mimics us when we smack our lips or click our tongue, and he can go down slides on his own. He's wild and rebllious as well as sweet and funny. He is the man of many faces and expressions who can make us laugh on a daily basis.

Happy Birthday Drake! Thank you for an awesome year!

hugging his teddy...