Motherhood... a year later

  The other day, I turned to my husband and exclaimed, "Hey, we made it a year with Eli and he is still alive." Apparently, we are doing something right! He is thriving. We had a rough start, as I think many new parents do. We had to get used to being in charge of a little baby. We had to get used to striving on little sleep, crying, and not eating warm food. We had to put aside our selfish desires to raise our little man. No more going to a movie on a whim(not to mention, I am too exhausted to stay awake for a movie!). But it's all worth it. He really has us by our pinkies. I lay him down for the night after an exhausting night of crying, only to want to scoop him up 15 minutes later for kisses. He looks at you and melts your heart. His snuggles warms your soul. His future gives you hope.
    Travis and I have really grown as parents and as a couple. We have had to really rely on each other. While Travis was taking classes, I had to pick up the slack. When I broke my elbow, vice versa. I am so glad I have Travis to go on this new journey on. I watch him with Eli and it absolutely puts a smile on my face. He loves Eli and is a great father. So much love. We have grown so much together from parenting together. I love him and thank God for him everyday!
      I made it a year of breastfeeding! Wahoo! After the struggle we had, I consider this a victory! I am so proud. I remember crying because he won't latch well and now here we are a year later. Thank you to all my friends and family that encouraged me. I'm so glad I did it. We are going to continue until one of us is ready to wean. I love that time with him. I nurse on demand. He gets breast milk in a straw cup for lunch and dinner. He is so sweet. I taught him the sign for milk and he does it for breastfeeding, but also for food, snack, drink, ect. Silly boy!
   What have I learned about mommy hood in a year? Don't sweat the small stuff. I promise they will sleep through the night at some point. You don't have time to search and read tons of books, don't buy them. I mostly relied on friends and family for help/advice. Breastfeed if you can, it's amazing and great for the baby! Ask for help when you need it. Don't obsess over milestones, they will get there on their own time table. SLEEP when the baby does, even if your "baby" is a year old! Just accept gifts, even if your living room turns into a playroom. Don't bother picking up the toys every two hours, or you are going to be very frustrated. Take time to play with your child. Drop work/cleaning/ect and sit on the floor and play. God entrusted you with a wonderful miracle and they grow too fast. Enjoy every minute of this time, because you'll blink and they will be graduating.