Our LO will turn ONE tomorrow! I am feeling a range of emotions right now... my sense of pride and happiness is beyond anything I can describe, but there is also a level of sadness at this special time. I just can't seem to get beyond the idea that an entire year has gone by with my sweet little boy and while there have been difficult moments and phases, I feel like he has been in our family and that we have known him forever. The joy I have had watching him grow from a little baby to an independent, smart, opinionated (!), funny, giggly and sweet little boy has been beyond my wildest and most beautiful dreams.

It's hard for me to even wrap my mind around the fact that at this time last year, I was about to be in labor! It is as surreal to me today as it was then that we were about to meet our little baby the very next day. With all of this excitement, though, I am feeling a weird sense of loss and anxiety over my little boy reaching this next stage of almost being a one year old. I am trying my very hardest to savor this special time as I don't want it to go by too quickly.

I have learned so much in this past year... not only about my son, but also about my husband and myself. I have confronted uncertainly, doubt, fear, regret and jealousy in ways that were unknown to me and hope to be able to move on past this year with the tools to avoid these feelings. On the positive side, I have also experienced heart-bursting love, gratitude, independence, patience, acceptance and a peace that I did not know existed within me.

Please tell me you felt something similar at this stage! Was there anything that you did to make the arrival of the first birthday extra special?