Rylan is One

Our sweet boy is one year old (as of July 24…it has been a busy week).

Much more a toddler than a baby, we simply cannot get enough of him. His smile is contagious and his belly laugh is unbeatable. He adores us but is rarely hesitant to go explore with other family and friends. I hope to always nurture his independence, yet I also embrace that he is thoughtful and cautious. Perhaps that will save us a few trips to the ER once he enters the wild boy stage.

The first year with Rylan is hard to capture in words. I tried recently but the post only scratches the surface. I just can’t believe that we went from expecting to deer-in-headlight parents of a newborn to comfortable, pride-filled parents of a one year old boy. I am really proud of us as individuals and as a couple.

In the past week I have spent a lot of time talking and texting with the moms who make up my tribe…tribe of moms near and far who are always there for the tough, real questions of motherhood. I’ve leaned on them through tears related to how fast year one went and my sadness of nursing him for the last time. After weeks of fighting for my supply, I decided the morning of Rylan’s first birthday party would be our last nursing session. I closed his bedroom door and soaked up every quiet and serene minute. My heart is so full knowing that we had this special year together. I am very proud of our accomplishment.

Mom’s 12 Month Favorites:

Our connection–the kind only a mom and her son can experience
Watching him surprise himself by taking a few, unassisted steps toward me the morning after his birthday party. I am thrilled I was there for the moment
His predictable mealtime pickiness and obsession with blueberries
The way he acted extra silly and crazy on his actual birthday…like he knew it was his super special day
The total awe on his face watching Mike work on our backyard. He is ALL boy when it comes to staring and pointing at heavy equipment
His weird obsession with the vacuum. He cries when I turn it off, which allows me to get quite a bit of vacuuming done without feeling guilty that we’re not playing with his toys

Dad’s 12 month favorites:

Watching Rylan discover new things and the inquisitive look on his face when he is introduced to new experiences
The joy he brings to our faces, and the excitement on his face when we see him after a long day of work
Watching him start to figure out how to walk, even though he can’t quite do it on his own yet, you can tell how much he’s trying to figure it out
His curious personality
Watching him interact with other kids, especially his cousins, and seeing him learn how to share and be social with other kids
His strong affinity for meat and blueberries, though we’d like him to expand his food preferences a bit more, at least we know there are a few fall back foods that he’s likely to eat when we need him to chow down