Where did the year go?

It's been two weeks since we celebrated Will's 1st birthday and I'm still having trouble believing I have a one year old now. Has it really been that long? I can remember clear as day the anticipation of his arrival, our first day home with a newborn, my days being consumed with breastfeeding and diaper changes, the sheer exhaustion of returning to work and keeping up with the housework, all of the firsts that come in the first year... It all happened so fast.

Here's some of my favorite photos from Will's first year:



Ready to head home from the hospital.



How sweet it was to watch Craig become a dad.



Our first family vacation - to Grand Haven when Will was 6 weeks old.



He looked 100% Riedeman for the first several months.



Will always had the most animated expressions as an infant!



Our little family.



First smile.



Vacation #2 - to San Diego for Craig's work conference when Will was 10 weeks old.





At home in Grandma & Grandpa Skees's pool.



Will's baptism and 3-month birthday on September 8th.



Out to dinner with Will in the sling.









Shopping for pumpkins at Fleitz Pumpkin Farm. Will is 4 months old.



Halloween costume - he's a "silly spider"!



5 months old - learning to sit.



Christmas Eve at the Riedemans.



Opening presents on Christmas morning.



Starting solid foods!







Fascinated with water at bath time.



Good buddies.



Our little buckeye.



Playing with dad.



7 months old and getting first teeth - check out all the drool!





Bundled up for a brisk walk in the February air.



Check me out - I'm standing! 8 months.





Teeth!



Like father, like son.





Loves mirrors!





9 months old today!



Happy St. Patricks Day!





Love our baby carriers!



Easter Sunday.





10 1/2 months old - practicing walking.



His special spot with mommy.





Tickling with Grandpa Skees.





11 months old!













It's truly been a life-altering year. I've learned a lot about myself: that I can actually survive on so little sleep, that my body is capable of sustaining and growing a human being by breastfeeding (how empowering!), that leaving my baby behind on my first day back to work is unbelievably hard, that multi-tasking is an understatement, that I have a fiercely protective side for my child, and that despite how it feels, a happy heart does not burst from feeling too full.

It's hard to let go of all the baby stages, but I also don't want to dwell on the fact that he's growing up (which is inevitable) and miss out on how exciting THIS age is. I read a quote the other day that's helping remind me to enjoy the NOW:

"You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present."

Looking forward to the toddler years!