May 31st

May 31st holds such significance to me because I get to celebrate not only my anniversary but also Stella’s birthday.

Four years ago when Blake and I said “I do” it was the culmination of everything I had hoped and dreamed of. I don’t want to get all mushy – but let me just say I’m so blessed to have Blake. Most of us girls  think about and wonder who we’re going to marry when we grow up. I just never would have guessed in elementary, junior, or high school that it would be my best friend’s REALLY good looking, outspoken, full of life, older brother…but I’m sure glad God put us together! Life is not perfect and neither is marriage, but I love having a partner that sticks with me through the good and the bad {i.e. hormonal mood swings and an incredibly stressful job}! I can’t really name or count all the reasons that I just down-right love him.

And then our family of two became three! All day I’ve kept looking at the clock and remembering back to what stage of labor I was in one year ago. By this time, Stella was about 5 hours old and I was on cloud 9. When the doctor handed her to me at 4:52pm I truly thought she was probably the best looking baby that had ever been born {truly only a mom thinks this}. The hospital stay FLEW by and then we went home. And the first two weeks at home DRUG by!

I was in NO way prepared for the lack of sleep that came with a newborn. Ya, people tell you – but it does not even register until you are feeling that worn down, delirious, walking-zombie feel. During these two weeks, I really thought about being mad at every mom I knew for not trying to get through to me how hard this was. Not to mention being incredibly sore in places that no one should be sore. And trying to learn how to feed a baby and trying to teach your baby how to feed from you – I know God knew what He was doing, but don’t you think we should be taking some class during our pregnancy about what to expect the first year after our sweet bundle of love is born {and I'm not just talking about the "nursing" class at the hospital - I have something much more in depth in mind}? No? Maybe it’s just me, but I'm still full of questions!



{Stella as a newborn}

However, now, looking back, those first two weeks are barely a blip on the radar {and I will gladly do it over and over again}. I can’t BELIEVE how fast the year went. It really seemed like every three months she was a different baby. There were so many developmental and physical changes that she went through that I can’t imagine how they were all compacted into this last year. I made sure to tell Ryan {Blake’s sis} and my sister, Rachel, to pay special attention to what I was telling them WHILE it was happening, because when I look back at situations they all seem peachy and rosy {which was not the case when they were happening!}.



{3 months}





{6 months}



{9 months}

I feel like a broken record because I know I’ve said it so many times how much I love being a mom and love my sweet, Stella girl. She is so happy and so fun to be with. She is absolutely non-stop, does not slow down, into everything, and already has such a strong-willed personality. I picked her up out of her crib last night while she was asleep just to hold and rock her. It really hit me that she’s no longer a baby and that she’s going to just continue to get more independent from here. I love that she needs me and the sweetness of her laying her little head down on my shoulder and blowing me kisses and leaning toward me for kisses with her little mouth wide open and her tongue hanging out – I want to sear those images in my head forever. I love that she lights up when she sees me and cries when I leave the room. I love that she loves new people and doesn’t meet a stranger. I love that anyone who spends time with her tells me how sweet she is. I love being her momma! She is my little love bug!



{First thing on birthday morning!}

{Birthday donuts!}



{Birthday dinner!}