No End In Sight

"He's one already?" "Wow, he got one fast!" "Didn't that first year just fly by?" These are the statements I got the most from family, friends, and even strangers, my usually answer is a tight lipped "hmm" and a slight nod, to which they of course take as "those were tough times I don't want to remember." Truth be told: Hayden's first year was the longest year of my life! Maybe its because that first year is so connected to pregnancy, I have unconsciously lumped in pregnancy's ten months with the first year of motherhood. I am not sure. But I know that my first year of motherhood was a little bit more weird than most.
I remember some milestones of Pregnancy. I always go back and laugh at how I took my pregnancy test to quiet my Grandmother, who wouldn't stop chirping that I was pregnant after I had told her that I was a bit nauseated but could still help move my cousin. I took it and two lines showed up. After 8 months of baby lust, I was pregnant and so excited that I ran out the door screaming "I'm pregnant" bypassing my husband and went straight to my Grandma's house.
The first trimester was the longest for me: constantly waiting and going to the bathroom to check to see if I was bleeding. And I had longer to wait in that trimester than most women, I found out I was pregnant at only 3 weeks along. The second trimester and the first two months and 3 weeks of the third were my most favorite time. I wasn't impatient to get the pregnancy over with or uncomfortable until the last week. I loved, loved, LOVED pregnancy and was in no rush to have it ended.
My birth was not gruesome or filled with screaming and horror. Instead I was calm, laughing, and intent on having a remembered birth experience and I could not wait to push thinking that it would be fun. I labored six hours, I was induced upon requesting it, my contractions were not unbearable- In fact the morning I went to be induced, they checked my cervix and I was already in labor at 3 centimeters dilated. I felt nothing. At 5 centimeters, I got an epidural that didn't work and instead made me violently itchy, that took two doses of benedryl and something else to stop. I felt everything but it wasn't painful. I went from seven to ten in an hour and it took me only thirty minutes to birth Hayden into this world.
I was not overwhelmed or nervous as a parent but confident and anxious to breastfeed and know what it felt like. I loved snuggling with Hayden, breastfeeding him, and even reading to him.
Hayden was a dream as an infant. He never cried, slept long hours, when awoke he was totally alert- So alert that when I took him to the emergency after seeing a spot of blood in his diaper, no one believed that he was sick. It took a week to have him hospitalized for a UTI. That was very hard and the most stressful time for me as a parent, when they put the IV in his arm I left. I felt horrible for leaving, crestfallen for hearing him cry as they poked him, but I didn't want him to see me cry and I bawled.
That didn't even get him down the nurses at Children's Hospital were amazed at how quiet and alert he was, and that he slept through the night so young. After 3 days in the hospital, Hayden took off.
He completed all his milestones early, amazing everyone, and he still amazes me. I was hesitant about him turning one and I love it. It is as if he has come alive. I could see him changing a little at eleven months: saying new sounds, playing games, copying Mommy and Daddy, as well as taking out clothes from the hamper or dishes from the washer "helping" us. But now he is climbing things he never tried to climb: the toilet, the entertainment center, even his small toy shelf. He can say a few words: "stop it" is his favorite, "i did it," "this," "that" "nan" meaning no, "down." Today I heard a few new ones "done" and "dog" and "tree." he even waves bye-bye without being told!
His personality is merging like wild fire. He loves me reading to him, he loves anything with animals in it, he loves outside and nature: anytime the door is open he skyrockets to the door with his goofy run. Another thing that has shocked me is his memory to people. He knows Grandma now on both sides and anytime one of them stops by or he sees their houses he instantly lights up. He is starting to realize that Daddy comes and goes on weekdays and is not always here. He cries when he sees David, his Dad, leave for work or Grandma leaving. And while he learned to point at 9 months, now it has turned into the name game.
Hayden is developing so fast and thankfully there is no end in sight. I love to see him learn and grow (try to type on my computer.)It is what parenting is all about. Now he has run off somewhere with my nail clipper.


Always,
H and M B