Winter's First Birthday
Winter,
On November 6, 2016 at 6:39 PM, you turned one years old. I can’t describe to you the joy it brings to me, the honor I share with your father in wishing you a happy first birthday. From the moment you were born, my soul flew free, wrapped its arms around you and hasn’t left your side since. I picture this process often. I envision a warm, translucent light hovering over you as you explore your world, encouraging you to spread your kindness to everyone you meet.
I feel like one of my biggest purposes in life was to be your mother, to lend you my soul so for safe keeping, and to be your guide and safe haven. I often think about how I got so lucky to have met you. Your inquisitive spirit, your kindred heart and your tenacious attitude all help me remember the important things in life, the small things throughout my day that make me smile, and the hope that I have for our world because you are in it.
While I have struggled with adhering or believing in only one religion, I do know that I see and feel God’s glory when I look at you as I could have never painted a more beautiful human or soul if I tried.
This past year has been a whirl-wind of emotions, the steepest learning curve I have been faced yet the happiest I have ever been. With each new day I get to be your mother, I am better, I am more whole. This past year, my identity has transformed and morphed into something I am so proud of. And while I promise to hold and respect the roll as your mother, I also plan to show you the other things that fulfill me and that I am passionate about. One of my favorite things to do with you right now is to play piano together. Watching you beat on the keys with a smile on your face brings me so much joy and I can only image the melodies that we will create together in the years to come. I also can’t get enough of our walks together. The way you stop and touch the leaves on the ground, or notice a bird chirping in the trees, or the smile you get on your face when we hum and run all remind me to slow down and observe the beauty in the world because there really is so much of it everywhere. I am grateful that you bring that awareness to me in my life.
Bath time is also my favorite. You have always loved the water. Even while I was pregnant with you, I felt an ease and sense of security while I was swimming in the ocean which something I had never experienced before. The ocean is one of my greatest fears but I promise to not let my insecurities and fears hinder you from exploring your world. If anything, becoming your mother has made me feel less afraid of the “what ifs” and more in tune with the “right now”. You see little one, as I continue to type, I realize that while it is my duty to teach you how to be a kind, independent and confident human, you have already taught me so much in return. I love being your mother. Thank you for this past year and happy first birthday!!
Love,
Your Mother
Perry made this cake for her. It was topped with raspberries with peas pushed into the middle of the raspberries because peas are currently her favorite food and we wanted to remember that forever.
We strung 12 roses across the wall to symbolizes 12 months of life. A first birthday must!
It was her second time eating sugar (the first was when she was fed ice-cream by grandfather who also happened to be the first one to give me ice-cream too). She had no clue what to think of an entire cake placed in front of her.
To get her to eat the cake, I had to take a bite of the frosting first and then feed it to her. She was still unsure of what to think until the third bite. Then, she figured out that sugar was good and you can guess what happened next....frosting everywhere!
A first birthday party idea: Get large balloons to make a statement! To make things easy on us, we had a pot luck with breakfast goodies complete with a Bloody Mary bar. I think we earned those drinks! The first year of raising a human is no joke :)
The poster is called, "The Birth Poster" and is honestly the coolest thing we own. It is an illustration that was adapted to scale to represent Winter's actual length at birth
We snuck outside to our backyard to snap a few photos of the three of us on her first birthday. Winter was really tired (because birthday parties are hard work, you know) so we were lucky to get a few photos without her crying. Brittany (the photographer that does all the photos for the blog) is so patient. I think she used her magic wand to get this one, because moments before we had an eye rubbing, tearful little one year old.
Winter's Dress c/o Zara
Terra's Dress (similar) c/o Loyal Hana (This dress is nursing friendly and has zippers for easy access)
I used florals from my dear friend, LadyBird Poppy, to decorate the space and make Winter a floral crown.
Photography by Brittany Renee'