Eli - 1 year old

From now to then...
Looking into the future.

Playing in my new sand/water table.

A Halloween monkey

High Five!

I have lost most of my hair, but now it is growing back.

In Ponte Vedra Beach at our interview. 7weeks old

Little Toad (in b'ton)

All are happy and healthy

His first moments

My baby boy is one year old! This time last year, I was lying in my bed in Bloomington, IN trying to go to sleep. I was anxious, because my second son was to be born the next morning. We planned a c-section, and I think I was more nervous about the epideral than the actual surgery. I always seem to do fine during the actual procedure, but I did dread the needle. As usual, it was no big deal. My anesthesiologist and my OB were golfing buddies, so I knew the atmosphere would be light. I told them "Don't let Nathan see ANYTHING! and distract with golf talk." I did not want him passing out because he caught a glimpse of the surgery. After the epi., they started the surgery before Nathan actually was in the room, so he had to walk right by my feet to get to my head! YIKES! He did great as usual. The pillar of strength with a few nervous banners waving from it. He always keeps it together under pressure. I hope Eli will be like him in that regard. Eli was born with a FULL head of blonde hair. I, of course, ordered Nathan (yes, I still boss him around even when pumped full of drugs - "who's married to the demanding wife" - inside joke)...I ordered him to start taking pictures, as we didn't have the doula like we did with Mac. He was beautiful and still is. He was a pretty good nurser from the start, even though I am not the best supply. He stuck by me the whole way. In fact, I nursed him for 10.5 months. He's a faithful little guy. A mama's boy, for sure. Like Mac, is was and is perfect in every way (even though he JUST started sleeping through the night last month!) :) How blessed I am to have such a warm, yet fiesty little guy. He is always good for a hug and a bright smile. And when he twinkles those baby blues at me...forget about it! When he was born, it wasn't even a remote possibility that we would be moving to FL. But now, an entire year later, here we are. We arrived here when he was just 2.5 months old. Hard to believe he was so young. I think it was difficult for him to adjust to his new surroundings at first, and that is why he became so attached to me. There was no family around to sweep him away and love on him, no neighbors to dote over him and babysit for him. He just had me. I am tickled pink to be his "one and only." At least for now, anyway. He learned to sit up, crawl and cruise here. He got his first tooth and said his first word here. He first giggled and coo'd here. And I was here to see it all first hand. How blessed am I?