Someone turned 1!

Dear Tucker, 

I can't tell you how amazing this first year has been. You've rocked my world in the best way possible! You've made me more patient and more loving than I ever knew I could be. You've tested me...but your tests have made me grow. I'm so proud of the little boy you are becoming. 

You were such a good baby, strong from the get go. You held your head up on your own just hours after you were born and you were always trying to stand up on your own two legs. You loved to lie on your changing pad in front of the window in your nursery staring up at your mobile and kicking your legs. It's amazing how much you've grown in 12 months!

You've always been a talker, just like you're daddy. You started babbling before 3 months and never stopped. Some of your favorite words are dada, ada, and the occasional mmmama. 

It took you a bit to get moving, but once you started crawling at 8 months there was nothing stopping you! You began walking at 11 months and you're up and running now at 12 months.

Although you slept on me for almost the first 6 months of your life, now you're on your own sleeping through the night like a champ. I love checking your monitor to see what position you're sleeping in - you're all over that crib! The older you've gotten the more independent you've gotten. That's how it should be and I hope it means I'm doing something right, but I miss my boy needing me. So those moments when you're upset or just over wrought with sleepiness, I relish you putting your head down on my shoulder and just being.

I say to your dad all the time how strong you are for being as young as you are. You've been through two more surgeries than he and I ever have! And you're an example to me every day with that strength - to keep a smile on and keep on going. You weren't even 5 months old when you had spinal surgery to release your tethered cord - you bounced back amazingly! I can't tell you how scared I was going into the children's hospital that morning, but when I saw you in recovery chugging pedialyte with everything you had, I knew you would be okay. And the tubes in your ears at 10 months...piece of cake! You were over that just a few hours after. I know this is an indication of the man you will be one day - - strong, never willing to give up or give in and keeping a smile on your face through the worst of times.

Have I mentioned how happy of a baby you are? You've got a heck of smile and its infectious, I tell you! You smile at everyone and you draw everyone in with just a look in your eye. When you were first born, you had the most beautiful color hair I've ever seen - - the most unique golden color - - you were known as the baby "with the pretty hair". We weren't sure if it would be red, like mine, or blond, like your father's, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be a color that's all your own. And lucky for you, you have my cowlick and your father's so it swirls up front and in the back, which makes it stick straight up right now! It definitely grabs everyone's attention.

It's hard to put a year with you in words, because there aren't enough words in our language or letters in the alphabet to express how much I love you. You've made my heart grow bigger and bigger with love for you each day you've been in my life. Sometimes I can't believe how fast this year has gone by, other times, I can't believe its only been a year because I feel like I've known you FOREVER. But no matter what, I will always love you. You're my golden boy and I couldn't be more proud to be your mama.

Love always,
Mama

PS - you're so lucky to share your birthday with your Great Aunt DeeDee!

Take Notice: We have Aars

My necklaces were featured on the fantastic lifestyle blog You Have Your Blog We Have Aars this week! I've been a reader of Allison's blog for some time now and I'm so honored to have my necklaces on her Wish List. Thanks, Allison! And if you're not a follower of Allison, do head over and check out her corner of the internet!

New in Shop!

I've had a bit of a creative surge and churned out some new necklaces for the shop. I hope you'll jump over and take a peak at some of my new offerings, including these cute Mama & Me necklaces!

Limited Time Opening of the SHOP

I'm opening up the shop for a limited time summer sale! I have a few necklaces and bracelets that I'd love to give a good home. My hope is to start making jewelry again in my spare time. I've missed the creative process of creating things and would love to be able to carve some time out to do that again and in turn share my new pieces with all of you! First things, first, clear out some of my older pieces to make room for newer ones. So, for those of you that have been asking me if I'll ever open my shop up again, well, here it is, for a limited time! Please use the coupon code SUMMER to get 15% off your purchase. 

Not a sidekick person

Life is full of twists and turns, as we all know. Lately, it feels like my life has turned a corner - the ante has been upped  and I've really got to kick some butt. It's been a long time since I've felt like this. I mean, when I had T, my whole world changed and I had to step into a brand new role, that of being a mother. Well, ten and half months in, I've realized how all consuming being a mother is. I wouldn't change it for the world - I'm so blessed to have the sweetest boy in the whole world as my son - but somewhere along the way, taking care of myself became a lost priority. I mean, when you feel like you have no time for yourself, it's damn hard to make it a priority.

The past few months have been difficult, to say the least, on a very personal level. In talking with friends about the hardships we've been going through, I've been so thankful for the support and love from so many. But one piece of advice that one person continually tells me each time she checks in with me is "take care of yourself". The first time she told me, I blew it off "yeah, yeah, yeah, I know". The second time she told me, I stopped in my tracks and asked myself "am I really taking care of myself?". The third time she told me, I decided she was right, I need to take more time for myself. Yes, especially when life is throwing some heavy stuff at you, but also every day no matter what is going on. It's important to make time for yourself.

It may seem like a small realization, but for me it was huge! Like all of a sudden, the kick butt action girl was kind of back. Like, I've been empowered to be the hero and not the sidekick to all of life's ups and downs. Like, this red-headed lady does have a say and will make the best go of things, not only for the sake of her family, but for the sake (and sanity) of herself.

image via The House That Lars Built