The Most ONE-derful Time of the Year!

TODAY IS COLIN'S 1st BIRTHDAY!!!  We celebrated this momentous occasion with a holiday-themed party at our house this past Saturday.  We had about 30 guests and everyone seemed to have a great time.  I took most of my party decorations and food inspiration from Pinterest, and I was so pleased with how it all turned out!  It was certainly a lot of work, but it was all worth it to make this day extra-special for our little boy.  After all, this was as much a party for us as it was for Colin - we all have a lot to celebrate!  The invitations said "Our Little Dear Is Turning One!" and I ordered a cake shaped like a reindeer that was pretty cute.  Colin even had his very own "smash" cake, which made for some adorable pictures.  We put balloons and streamers all over the Christmas tree to transform it into the "Birthday Tree," and all of the guests put their gifts under it.  I had a banner that said "Merry Birthday" and made some red, green, and white pom-poms.  We served fruit "Grinch" kabobs, a snowman cheese ball, a veggie Christmas tree, and a yummy oreo-mint cookie dip.  We also had 3 crockpots cooking delicious things - one with white chicken chili (which was gobbled up before I even had any), one with taco soup, and a third with hot chocolate!  We had a hot cocoa bar with lots of goodies to add in.  We even had a "naughty" and "nice" cranberry punch!  But the highlight of the day was when Santa stopped by for a surprise visit!  The kids at the party were so excited, and they each got to sit next to Santa on the couch and tell him their Christmas wishes.  Before Santa left, he helped to sing "Happy Birthday!" and we all watched in delight as Colin delicately explored his very own birthday cake.  It was an absolutely incredible day, one which I'll never forget.  Here is a link to all of the photos from the party, which have been uploaded to Snapfish, if you'd like to check it out!

http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=13849053007/a=24077577_24077577/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

I'm still so amazed at how quickly this year has flown by.  It seems like just yesterday I was complaining about back cramps, checking in with the doctor, and being anxiously driven to the hospital in preparation for labor.  I can most assuredly say that this has been the greatest year of my life, and I know that Marshall feels the same.  Colin has not only made us parents, but has made our lives truly complete.  He is the child I have always dreamed of, and it seems as if every moment has been too good to be true.  Colin is happy, healthy, silly, smart, affectionate, friendly, determined, thoughtful, busy, and loving. I love bringing him out and about to interact with the world.  People are constantly telling me how beautiful he is, and I swear he seeks out this kind of attention from others!  It has been totally mind-blowing to watch him develop and grow right before our eyes.  Each new sight, sound, and experience have been learning opportunities that have helped him to discover the world.  And I'm pretty proud of us, too.  Not only did we manage to keep this tiny person alive and well, but I think we succeeded in helping him adapt to "life on the outside" by establishing routines, following cues, and maintaining order.  I know that this is a job I was meant to do, but I never knew I'd love it so much.  Being a mommy has always been my dream, and I'm so lucky that I have the opportunity to stay at home with Colin so that I don't have to miss a thing.  There have been ups and downs, several tiring nights, and certainly times when I questioned my abilities; but as I reflect on the past year, I realize that I feel very accomplished in my role as a mother.  We're so blessed and fortunate that this little person is ours, and although it's a little sad that our baby isn't quite a baby anymore, we are thrilled about all of the memories that we will get to create with him in the future.  Here are some of my favorite highlights from this most special year:

• When the nurse told us that she could see our baby's dark hair!
• Holding Colin for the very first time
• Bringing him home from the hospital during rush hour traffic on a Friday night, to a house decorated with balloons and signs, and a yummy dinner waiting in the oven (courtesy of Mom and Dave!)
• Taking Colin to John and Kimmie's Christmas party when he was just 3 days old
• Celebrating our first Christmas together as a family
• Being snowed in with a newborn for a week with Mom while Marshall was in California for work
• The first time he giggled (the most adorable sound I've ever heard)
• Going away on our first real trip away from the baby - to the Bahamas for my birthday!
• When some very special family members came for a visit and met Colin for the first time - Uncle Drew and Aunt Rachel, Aunt Adrienne and cousin Evyn, Uncle Brad and Aunt Lindsey and cousins Amelia, Bishop, and Clive, Uncle Jim and Aunt Sarah, and Great Great Aunt Rose
• My first Mother's Day, which we celebrated with a morning boat ride on Lake Norman with Aunt Ginna, Uncle Blake, Grandma Kimmie, and Grandpa John
• Ginna and Blake's wedding, where Colin made a guest appearance for a family photo!
• Swimming in the pool at the YMCA
• Playdates with his buddy, Hunter Poole
• Spending time in the mountains with Grandma Mary and Grandpa Lee, picking blueberries and going on walks in the stroller
• Colin's baptism at our church, Harrison United Methodist
• Our first plane ride and trip to Florida to visit Nani Lynne and Pop Pop Dave
• When Colin started crawling and pulling up all over the place!
• Our beach vacation in the Outer Banks with Grandma Mary and Grandpa Lee
• Baby storytime at the library
• Watching Colin discover the pets
• When Colin first started to say "Dada" and "Mama"
• His first kiss from his neighbor friend, Amelia
• Trick-or-treating around the neighborhood in the little red wagon
• Colin's first Thanksgiving with the Rothwell family
• When Colin sat on Santa's lap at Southpark Mall - first intrigued, then a bit terrified!
• Colin's first birthday party at our house, with lots of family and friends

And of course, the birthday wouldn't be complete without the monthly chalkboard wall update!  So please enjoy this final one, but I hope you will continue to check in to see what we're up to in 2015.  And YES, for those that keep asking, we'll be considering a sibling for sweet Colin in the next few months :)  Happy New Year!