The Firsts!

New Years Eve, December 31st, 2009 at 9:00pm, topped all other celebrations I ever did ringing in a new year. I remember sitting on my couch as big as a house, pregnant at 39 weeks. I got up to use the bathroom and suddenly my water broke. A rush of excitement from two very shocked, very soon to be new parents, rush to get dressed, pack our bags, and drive 25 miles to the hospital. After welcoming a new year from my hospital bed and spending the night on into the morning with uncomfortable contractions, New Years Day, January 1st, 2010, Charlize Esmeralda Kruger, was born at 10:06am. She weighted 7 lbs, 0 oz, and was 20 inches long.

A whole year of wonders and woes and plenty of "first experiences" had come and gone and before I knew it, Charlize was turning ONE! I, being the proud mother that I am, will from here on out continue to celebrate the New Year with a Birthday party for my baby girl. And her very first was definitely an important milestone to celebrate!

So, the week prior, I searched online, got ideas from artsy crafty moms, and began to plan Charlize's very FIRST birthday party in style. How fitting it was to celebrate Charlize's FIRST birthday on a day dated with all ones. January 1st, 2011! Charlize was 1 on 1/1/11! I bought glue, cardstock, popcicle sticks, and ribbon and began to get crafty. I made a pink and brown banner with the letters spelling Happy Birthday. I made cupcake toppers, 24 with her cute little face and 24 with the number 1 in various pink and girlie backgrounds. I bought a signature frame to put her picture to have all our friends to sign it. I gathered pictures from Charlize's birth through all her 11 months of life and put them on a sandisk. I used a digital frame to have it scroll through all her photos so everyone could see her growth in 12 months. I rented out a room in an indoor playground establishment and invited some of my closest friends and their kids to come and play and eat and share in the celebration. With all of the crafts I was making that week, I ended up buying ( the 48 in all)vanilla with pink frosted and chocolate with chocolate frosted cupcakes. Food was provided for the kids and the adults got snacks. I spend some nights, after both Chris and Charlize were in bed, sacrificing sleep so that I could cut and paste pictures onto popsicle sticks, and then tie bows on all 48 of the cupcake toppers.

I didn't mind it because it was all for my baby girl. Sure, she's turning one and won't remember a bit of that day, but it was for a celebration for mommy and daddy too. Years down the road, our baby girl will see how much she was loved, through pictures of that very day's celebration.

The day went great, despite the rainy, cold weather and tornado watch, Enterprise, Alabama was having on New Years Day! Everyone that was in town and could make it, did come to help celebrate Charlize's birthday and at the end of it all I was pretty happy with my baby girls FIRST birthday. As with most toddlers, they wore themselves out, playing on the indoor jungle gym. About half an hour after Charlize blew out her first birthday candle, it was time to pack up and head home for naps. After a much needed nap for Charlize, mommy, and daddy, it was time to open her presents. (To think, Charlize will have the best presents every year. She will get to open presents for Christmas and then a week later, get to open presents for her Birthday!)

My friends gave were the sweetest, giving Charlize so many toys. After opening all of her presents that evening, the living room was poring over with toys from wall to wall.

I sat back at the end of the night and had to smile. I did it. Chris and I did it; Charlize, Chris and I did it. We all survived a year, raising a new life in this world. She turned out to be the smartest, most beautiful baby girl I could have ever asked for. Despite all the troubles with the "firsts", I truly have enjoyed being a mom and I really enjoyed throwing Charlize her first birthday party.

I look forward to every New Years now, for two reasons. It is a time to welcome a fresh New Year and a time to celebrate another year older with a beautiful, healthy baby girl.

Cheers to all the firsts! Now to begin more first experiences with my first; potty training, disciplining, teaching reading and writing skills etc. I will never forget the "firsts"