This Night a Year Ago

This night a year ago I was laying in a hospital bed, sick, scared and unsure of what the next few hours, days and weeks held for me and our son.  Our path over this past year has certainly not been the straightest and our road has not always been the smoothest, but it has taught us so much.  It has taught Stephen and I about the strength of our love and commitment to each other and about our love and dedication to our son. 

We could not have made it through this year without the support of our friends and family.  When they say it takes a village to raise a child, they weren't kidding.  Since I know our parents  check this blog, I wanted to take this time to thank them.  Thank them for teaching us to be the parents that we have become.  For carrying us through the lows and celebrating the highs with us.  There have been several times when I have said that I wouldn't have made it through this year without them.

I especially want to thank my parents, and in particular my mom.  She has done for Perron what she did for my siblings and I when we were growing up.  She put her entire life on hold this past year to help me raise my son.  She always has been the model of selflessness when it comes to her children and she has proven no different when  it comes to her grandson.  She has been at every doctor appointment, sat through therapy appointments, carried me when I didn't think I could go any further, comforted my tears of sadness and shared my tears of joy.  She has taught me everything I know about being a mother and Perron is very lucky that I learned from the best.

So tonight we celebrated Perron's first year of life with friends and family.  We laughed, played and ate cake.  And tonight as I rocked my baby to bed one last time before he officially turned one, I couldn't help but think of where this year has taken us.  I held a beautiful, healthy, precious baby boy who just one short year ago, was a tiny three pound baby in my tummy on this very same night.  I know that my nights of rocking him and him loving me like I am the only person in is world will not last forever.  In fact, they might not even last until this time next year, so I held him extra tight, rubbed his downy soft head, and smiled at how very far we have come.