As we all know, turning one isn’t just about celebrating another year of life for our little ones; it’s really a tribute to the parents who have survived the whirlwind of the first year. This milestone marks a time when I genuinely feared I might neglect my newborn simply because I forgot to set my alarm for feedings. I mean, after a long night, who can keep track of time? Between the feeding, the endless struggle to get him to sleep, and my own attempts to catch some z’s, it sometimes felt impossible.
As my son, Leo, gears up to celebrate his first birthday this week, I’ve compiled a list of all the things I’ve triumphed over—here’s to me:
- I managed to spend 12 hours a day with a newborn and two snoozing cats.
- I perfected the art of texting while breastfeeding (bonus points for doing it in the dark).
- By week three, I stopped worrying that my nipple was an open secret among the local waitstaff.
- I only shed tears for five minutes when I forgot breast pads and ended up leaking milk all over the store.
- Leo never swallowed anything hazardous enough to warrant an ER visit.
- I limited my late-night Amazon shopping to just twice a week.
- I learned how to make baby food without poisoning him.
- I occasionally opted for non-organic food and yet, he’s still alive.
- I attended several baby yoga classes mainly for the free childcare.
- I only dozed off while nursing every other night (and somehow never dropped him).
- Leo only peed on me twice.
- He never had an unfortunate incident involving poop in the bathtub.
- He only face-planted into the iPad screen once during our “Orange is the New Black” binge.
- I embraced the fact that diaper explosions, OxyClean, and laundry have replaced my girls’ nights filled with wine and cheese.
- It took me seven attempts to master the Bjorn baby carrier.
- We only experienced one episode of projectile vomiting.
- I cried only once at the checkout in Target.
- I didn’t forget I had a baby and leave him behind.
- I wore mismatched shoes to work just once.
- My husband and I remained happily married (I only considered divorce a few times).
- Leo never ingested cat litter.
- He also avoided eating dog poop.
- I accepted that half my wardrobe may never fit again.
- I smiled through my son being the only child shrieking in excitement at Gymboree.
- I panicked a few times and called the doctor while Googling “why isn’t my child crawling” when Leo didn’t start until 11 months.
- He never fell through the bucket swing.
- He only bit one other child.
- He never choked—he figured out how to cough it up before it became serious.
- I took him to the beach and managed to only sunburn myself, not him.
- I didn’t lose my job, even after spending the last three weeks planning his birthday bash during office hours.
- I didn’t accidentally smother my husband in his sleep, despite him sleeping through our son’s 3 a.m. wails.
- I refrained from smothering him when he said, “The baby was up last night? I didn’t hear anything!”
- I didn’t lash out at the well-meaning folks who asked if Leo was crawling yet.
- Leo never tumbled off the changing table, even without that buckle. (Who even uses those?)
- I’ve come to terms with my sagging breasts and gray hair being a fair trade for having such a precious son.
So, happy first birthday to ME!
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In summary, the first year of motherhood is a journey filled with challenges, victories, and moments that test your patience and resilience. As I reflect on these experiences, I celebrate not only my son’s growth but my own survival and adaptability as a new parent.