One Year of Autumn.

I can't quite fathom that an entire year (and then some) has come and gone since we welcomed Autumn Rose into our world.  19 hours of labor, 12 in the comfort of our home, some serious post-partum complications that completely challenged us and still, so much of it is a distant memory as we have been witness to the evergrowing, ever changing love of our life, sweet Autumn.  She was so fresh, so new, so innocent, so loved by so many already.  She was so incredibly wonderful in every way possible and our joy only grew with every single day of her existence.  While the transition to having a newborn in the house was unlike anything we had truly expected or experienced before (hello sleep deprivation for 13+ months and counting!) we tackled each new hurdle and each new day as a team.  I'll never forget the day that we finally brought her home from the hospital, introduced her to her furry sisters and just stared in amazement at this hiccuping, beautiful and oh-so-soft and pink little being that we would be responsible for the rest of our lives.  To say becoming a parent is overwhelming is an understatement, but there is no better feeling on the planet than to know that you have the capability to shape a young life into chasing all of her dreams and making each one of them become a reality.

It's almost inconceivable that she has blossomed from this quiet, gentle and precious little 7lbs and 11oz....

To this spunky, intelligent and curious little being.....

 

The girl has literally not slowed down since she came into this world.  And if I know her little spirit, she has no intention of stopping anytime soon.  We as parents will be challenged to keep up with her! Challenge accepted.  We can't quite believe that she is a walking very, very fast walking, babbling, adventurous, foodie of a one year old.  Lover of the outdoors, her pups, stacking and organizing, coloring (or eating her colors), playing hide-and-seek and taking apart and attempting to put everything back together.

She's a whopping 25 lbs. at her 1 year well-baby check-up and slimming down every day she's on the go.  There has hardly been any food that we have put in front of her that she doesn't like, we hope that sticks.  She absolutely loves yogurt, all berries, oranges, grapes, turkey, and dipping anything in ketchup. (she gets that from me!)  She loves a bit of dark chocolate (just like her mom and dad), peanut butter and prefers water to juice.  While she sits fairly peacefully in her highchair long enough to finish a meal, she prefers to eat on the go.  She wants to try anything and everything Chris and I have and we love that she wants to give everything a shot.

Currently, and really since she has been crawling, she has preferred most household items that she finds to her toys (take, toiletpaper for example).  This morning she even got in the cupboard and pulled out not just the spackle but also the putty knife.  We're convinced she will be quite the handyman as she gets older.  She loves balls, balloons, being outside and even dancing in the rain (especially now that she can use the doggy door) The beach is her playground.  She could spend an entire hour, and almost has, putting sand on her shovel and putting it in her bucket. She also continues to be fearless of the water.  We can't wait until the gulf gets a little bit warmer for her to swim in this year.

Our goal is to continue to nurture all of her interests that truly move her and to teach her that she can always continue to be the renaissance woman she already is.  From donning mamas scarfs and staring at herself in the mirror in one total girlie moment, to kicking the soccer ball or paddleboarding the next (she looks incredibly comfortable on that board already!)

Time.  I'm fascinated by it's allusiveness as a mother.  When Autumn first made her grand entrance into the world her life was measured by hours.  And I remember them.  Not each and every one of them but I remember the shear amazement shock of holding her for the first few hours, nursing her those first few hours, staring through exhaustion, happy tears, and a whole new set of eyes almost.  I was in fact a mother and just hours before I never owned that title.  You do practically get a whole new set of eyes, I never knew this until I peered behind the lens of life as a mother.  This little being spend a cozy 10 months inside the womb, listening to my heartbeat, feeling my hands as they searched for her little feet, and hearing Chris and I's voice as we talked about all the adventures we would have together as a family of three. And now she was here, earthside, and more incredible than ever.  And we thought the ultrasound pictures of her were adorable!  When they say it's a whole new level of love it's truly indescribable.

From hours her time on earth was measured in days, then shortly it became weeks, and then finally months.  And we spent a good portion of the year answering peoples question of how old she by telling them 'X' amount of months.  And while I know this will continue for some time more, 13 months, 15 months and so on, she has breached the one year mark and from here on out her life will be measured mostly by a full orbit of the earth around the sun.  And speaking of that, we can't thank everyone enough who helped to celebrate her Big One Year Bash.  And even for those family and friends that were far away, we sincerely felt the love!

Chris and I have spent entire conversations discussing what we would teach her, what her interests would be, what her personality would be like, and what her bright, bright future would look like.  We want nothing more than to act as role models for her in expressing to her that anything she dreams of can be made possible if she works hard enough and is passionate enough about it.  Anything.  I found this quote to be an exceptional example of how Chris and I would love to guide her....

"Do not prepare the path for the child.  Prepare the child for the path and he will find his way."
-Unknown, Native American

We want nothing more than to be teachers in her life that are guides rather than enforcers.  We want to teach her about both the light and the darkness in life while helping her gain the ability to pull herself out of any situation.  To have confidence, self-esteem, self-worth and to know everyday no matter what that she is beautiful, both inside and out.  We don't want to shield her from the irrational world but rather help expose her so that she can learn right from wrong, good from evil.  And already in so many ways with her exploration, wonder, and curiosity that she has for this world, we have every bit of faith that she will indeed move mountains.

After one short year with our precious gem, we can't wait for the rest of our lives with her.   Wherever life takes us, wherever we move next, we find comfort in knowing there will always be Autumn.  It's been remarkable watching her transform over the year and we can only imagine the physical, emotional and intellectual growth that will continue as she develops.

I'll sign off with several photos of her beach excursion exactly one year after we welcomed her into our hearts.

"When a child gives you a gift, even if it is a rock they just picked up, exude gratitude.  It might be the only thing they have to give and they chose to give it to you."

~ Dean Jackson