Rock on

I can't believe the day is here. Isaacs first birthday Eve. I know this is cliche to say, but where did the time go? A year ago today we were driving to my folks house to drop off Eli, a moment I had been dreading so much. After being several days overdue, I was being induced, something else I was dreading. Thankfully, due to my amazing doctor and wonderful nurses, everything went so smoothly. Isaac's birth is something I will gladly never forget, it was pretty amazing how much I enjoyed it.

I remember when the little guy was placed in my arms and I said "he is so tiny! He can't even be 6 pounds!" and the nurse and doctor looked at me like I was crazy. I kinda was, he was almost 9 lbs, but after carrying around Eli, he seemed so tiny. Now he weighs in at 30 pounds and doesn't seem tiny at all!

So many moments of his birthday are already becoming a blur, but I have one moment that is as clear as day to me. I was alone, Seth had gone to get some air and shower at my parents house and I was feeling good and wanted out of bed, so Isaac and I decided to go rock in the rocking chair. Nothing special about it really, no monumental bonding moment or anything particularly out of the ordinary, just simply rocking that sweet little nugget and snapped this photo.

I made a little promise to Isaac in that moment to rock him every single day. I knew things were going to get crazy the second we got home. With a 20 month old waiting for us at home and harvest starting while in the hospital, life was going to become more than challenging. I had been warned by so many that the first year of the second child's life flies by even faster than the first child's. 

So, I've kept my promise give or take a few days. I make time, every day, to rock that sweet little boy. Sometimes it was an unplanned 2 am feeding and I would wake up two hours later asleep with him in my arms. Other times, it was in the hospital when he was sick with RSV and on a nebulizer. Some days it was quick and rushed, but always time well spent. I knew the time would go by too fast, so we rocked as much as we could. 

So here we are today, as I am writing this, just rocking. 

I am just so thankful for this little guy. When people ask me if there are personality differences between Eli and Isaac, I answer with a big resounding "YES!" Not that Eli wasn't an easy going baby, but he has a very serious little personality sometimes and likes to scope things out before diving in. He is a little bit more reserved socially and likes having his little routine. Then there is Isaac, who made it quite clear he was on his own schedule when he decided not to be born close to his due date. He is my little social butterfly, dare devil, and wrinkles his nose with a little toothy grin and mischievous look in his big brown eyes. Words often used when describing Isaac are "stinker" "rotten" and "booger." 

Life of the party, am I right?!

He has such an infectious wonderful charm to him that I KNOW will get him into trouble someday. I have ready imagined several scenarios of Isaac throwing parties and causing mischief at school...I hope his teachers and principal will be as charmed by him as we are!

Isaac has been my constant reminder to slow down and enjoy things in the moment this year.  I only work one to two days a week, a decision that did not come easily and is certainly harder some weeks than others to be a mostly stay at home mom. I often find myself questioning my "worth" especially on the hard days.

Those days when someone says "wow you're so lucky you don't have to work" and I have to grit my teeth and drag my toddler throwing a tantrum to the car for a timeout and then get home and realize my shirt was on inside out and I have a peice of squished banana stuck to my rear end and then I finally get rocking time with Isaac, and he looks at me with that sweet knowing grin babies have as if to say, "Mom, you've totally got this. You're doing good." 

Isaac reminds me all the time to just stop and enjoy things and to take life head first!

Isaac has already learned the life lesson of just go with the swing of things and maybe bend the rules a bit too!

And to always feel fully exhilarated by the feeling of wind in his hair (even if he only has a little bit)

And always to lean on others shoulders when you need a little support!

Isaac, though young, is already so wise when it comes to women. He has learned to stay out of the way and just take it...

Because she will always come around :)

Isaac knows sometimes you have to suck it up and get to work...

...but that still doesn't mean he has to wear pants doing it.

Now and then he needs a little push from his big brother, who is always looking out for him

And lastly, Isaac has mastered the art of being cool...

So my sweet little Isaac Adler, happy birthday! You have brought us so much joy and love this past year!

As much as I say I wish I could go back to the day you were born, just to hold you once more in that moment...

... I wouldn't trade this year and watching your sweet little personality develop. So as I sit here holding back tears as you snooze in my arms, I remind myself the best is yet to come, and that tomorrow, even though your age will officially change to years instead of weeks and months, we will still get to rock. And the day after that, and the day after that. Someday, probably sooner than I'll ever be ok with, you won't want rocked anymore. But for now, we rock on.