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Friday, December 13, 2013

A sacred day, my boy turned one.

It is nearly Christmas with only eleven days to go.
Just ten days ago we celebrated the first birthday of our sweet baby boy. Ten days. How can that even be?


Can you feel this season whizzing by? Thanksgiving and less than a week later my boy turned one!?

I had hoped to celebrate his birthday in some special way, something Pinterest worthy. Days later, my heart stung with guilt, especially when someone said it was like "any other day." It wasn't. Not for me. The Momma who birthed him on that sacred day. Each hour that passed on December 3rd brought thick-sweet memories of the time leading up to meeting "my boy".

We didn't know the gender, we chose not to for either of our children. We liked the surprise and anticipation. He came rather fast and easy, just like his sister and also like her, he snuck in before midnight. Those kids.

December 3rd this year wasn't just his first birthday to celebrate a year of life, but for me, it was a sacred time of closing a chapter of motherhood as my baby turns a boy and as I can no longer reflect on "this time last year" without him, or anticipating him.

I have thousands of photos and memories to celebrate 
the past year we have had together. 


This year, all I wanted for his birthday was to savor it. The rest of the years that the Lord gives him will be all about him and not his Momma. But this year, I wanted to savor it. You see, I look at my babies lives so fragile. With Abigail having kidney/ urinary troubles from two weeks old and on, to the chaos we faced with doctors and health care burdens, this year for Jakob was rather a "breeze". He truly is the happiest and easiest baby I could imagine. (Which I am so incredibly thankful for and don't take for granted!) Each day we have together is a gift, for we don't know how many any of us will have.

I must have whispered "Happy birthday sweet boy" a thousand and one times to him that day.
Poor kid cutting teeth took some solid naps that day, so my time was really limited with him.


My Mom called and insisted on seeing her littlest grand-baby that day. After all, she had an Elmo balloon, little cake and gifts for him (more than his own Momma prepared!). My only goal was to be able to take him out for ice cream for lunch with his big Sissy. So, impromptu, Mimi joined us and surprised us with Pepe and cousins! It was a sweet celebratory hour of watching my boy open his first gifts, plunge his face to the cake box and squeal as he pulled the string to his balloon. And eat ice cream for lunch. Of course.


That night our good friends came to join us for dinner and cake with their little boy, Jakob's closest to age friend! (so in the end, I did give him a tiny party after all?) This weekend we will have a little double party with his Grandpa which will be so fun in the future, I'm sure they will have a ball finding ways to celebrate their birthday's being only several days apart!

All this to say, maybe your kids first birthday isn't a party and it doesn't look a thing like Pinterest, but may it be something sacred. Maybe your birthday isn't filled with friends or family, but find a way to make it special.

Being a Mom has been such an eye opening experience of the way God views us, His children. He created each of us, special. Being a Believer in Christ, means that God dwells in me, how sacred is that? No one and nothing can take that away.

And now the countdown continues, to the Greatest birth of all. The one that Rescues us and Redeems us, bringing Hope and Joy to all who put their faith in Him. The birth of Jesus Christ. The very Son of God.