Parker's Birthday Part 1

I have so many thoughts floating around, that I don't know where to begin. It was quite the weekend.

I can't remember a time when my life was this hard...

and I also can't remember a time when my life was this good...

That's the thing that not everybody knows about having a kid with super powers...it gives you extremes. It's not all bad ....sometimes it is even exceptional. I now have the ability to witness more everyday miracles. Maybe they have always been happening, but I just couldn't see them...

If you read Friday's post, you saw that my beautiful sister Lisa who lives in Missouri, gave birth to a brand new baby girl named Maggie. On Friday her nurse came into her room and said, "I know you, and I read this morning that someone has a new niece, Maggie. I'm Susan and I follow your sister's blog"....Sue said that my words inspire her and that Maggie was even more beautiful in person...

Oh friends....God plays connect the dots in the most beautiful of ways...The World is so much smaller than we know. When my sister told me this story, I just started to cry. I couldn't be with my sister like I had wanted, but God could, and he protected her by putting her in Sue's loving care. I know that if Sue enjoys this blog that means she is emotional...she is a fierce-loving Momma...she is strong- just like you are reading this... Sue used to live behind us growing up, she was the older sister of my best friend. She was my favorite babysitter because she had pretty feathered hair and was old enough to shave her legs.

And now, a couple of months ago, someone shared this blog, like you do at home friends, and it got into Sue the nurse's hands...and I am grateful for small miracles like that.

Here they are. Lisa going on 3 hours of sleep and Sue awake for 24 hours. I still say BEAUTIFUL!

I am holding my eyes open with tooth picks to write this post. My baby boy turned one year old today and I want to tell you about it.

Today we celebrated the past year with Parker Douglas Kelly in it. First birthdays are emotional for the Momma. The year goes by so fast. It's been the sweetest, saltiest, saddest, most incredible year of my life. I've never cried so hard...I've never laughed so much. I feel like today is my New Year's Day.

We set off on a journey this morning. I wanted to visit the place where he came to be. The place I first held him in my arms. The place I first kissed his head and splashed happy tears onto his little pink face. The place that changed my life forever.

I got to the hospital at about 7:30 in the morning on April 15th, 2011. I didn't want to disturb Greyson from his sleep so I waited until daylight....(but I couldn't have waited one second longer.) When they checked me, I was already dilated to a 6.

Bitty P...Parkie Doodle... Parker-roni Pizza...Parks...6 lbs, 6 oz. 19inches.

When you are pregnant, it feels like time goes by so slowly

...and the first year after, happens in a blink.

One shoe'ed goodness.

We brought cupcakes to the Awesome staff that were working today, April 15th, 2012 to help celebrate Parker's First. Hello new Friends!

I totally remembered the girl in the blue top, Christian, and she remembered me too. She even remembered my room number, 214.

I asked her, "How in the World do you remember our room number?" and she said, "You always remember the good ones" My heart got a little melty...shucks...small miracle number 2, I see you....

It's so nice to see the same walls through different eyes...Not nearly as scared and sweaty and leaky as I was one year ago, bringing home my brand new baby.

After nap, we played at our park.

If Parker could talk, I think that's what he would have asked for.

One year old Parker is the best gift I ever got...he crawls faster than I can describe, and loves to eat. Not puree's but real food...he'd probably love it if I made him a steak. He claps, he waves, he goes up and down the stairs.

After the park we went to an outdoor shopping area called River Park. We danced to live Salsa music and we tried frozen yogurt together for the first time. Look what flavor they had just for him.

He loved it, couldn't get enough of it, yet made this face every time it went in his mouth.

Like his Momma, he can make some crazy expressions...

He would panic when I would start to pull the sample cup away.

The night ended with his very own red velvet cupcake from Sprinkles.

His cake face wasn't nearly as ambiguous as his frozen yogurt one.

As I rocked Parker to sleep tonight, I leaned down and put my ear to his chest... and I listened to his heart. The faithful rhythm reminded me of my weekly doctor appointments when I was pregnant. The Dr. would wave the wand over my rising belly, looking for that beautiful lub dub, lub dub, lub dub...and when it was found, our eyes would meet and immediately, my nervous eyes would break into a grin. Do you remember those times?

They are such a precious gift. They are a miracle. They aren't easy--but they are so worth the tough. They make me say, "Life is good". They make me want to be a better person so I can be worthy enough to be their Mom. They are my big small miracles.

Happy First Birthday Parker. All my love. Mom.

(Come back in a day or two for Part 2! Parker's Party.... )