Happy 1st Birthday Mason

Today my baby turns one.  I've shed quite a few tears leading up to this day.  Yes, I'm sad that Mason is turning one (I've gotten sad when all my babies have turned one), but it's more about the end of a stage that has defined me for 9 years.  There will be no more planned babies.  The bedtime snuggles are what get me.  Each day he's a day older I get closer to no more baby snuggles until (God willing) I snuggle my grandchildren.  They will never again be my very own baby.

"There are really places in your heart that you don't know exist until you love a child" -Anne Lamott

I have to feel it to remember it and cry it out.  It allows me to embrace and welcome the new stage of our parenting life.

Each baby grows faster and faster.  I have no regrets.  We place our family time as a very high priority and we have clocked many hours of snuggling and playing on the floor with our precious baby boy. I am so very grateful to be able to be at home raising these kiddos and being with them nearly every moment of their beginning days of life.  There were hard days and long nights (not so much with Mason), but the years go so fast.

Mason truly was a dream baby, he was absolutely perfect.  We're ready for year two!

Here's a favorite picture from each month, then the monthly pictures, his 12 month picture and his year slideshow.  ENJOY!

Birth Day!

February

 March

 April

 May

 June

 July

 August

 September

 October

 November

 December

 January

 February

12 months!!

 Not gonna lie, a little bit glad I'm done for good with my monthly photo shoots

 I thought it would be fun to throw in the girls and say it's their 105th month, 74th month, 40th month and 12 month photo shoot :)

 BaDaBing BaDaBoom that's a wrap!

Mason had his one year photos taken at JcPenney Portrait. Oh my goodness, I can't believe I waited to find them until my last babe.  So much less stress.  I was in and out in 20 minutes, with my pictures!!!  Here's a sampling

 These really show the red in his hair.  We joke that his messy, fresh from bed hair makes him look like Ed Sheeran

[VIDEO] Which often doesn't work via mobile views...

Happy Birthday, Dream Baby! We love you so very much!! God sure blessed us with you!

We love you more every day,
Mom, Dad, Sally, Libby & Emma

**Happy Birthday to Mason's Birthday Buddy, Uncle Joey!  30 years apart! ♥**

Ordinary Days with a side of the Stomach Flu

Emma thinking she's so funny getting "her" jammies on

Daddy, sporting his new Wild Jersey

Game time before bed while Mommy was out with Neighbor friends celebrating her birthday!

Sledding Fun!

They're quite the pair! Emma loves to be his little mama and Mason loves it, most of the time

Learning to walk with his walker.  I decided to cut the chains and let him grow up, only because it's his birthday month.  I had lots of tears and emotions last week, that did the heart well, I think.  It's allowed to me accept that my baby is turning one.  It's less about that fact that it's MASON and more about the fact that it's the end of a stage that has defined me for so long.  He's our last planned baby, we'll see if God has the same plan.  So, we're beginning to enter a new stage of parenthood, that moved beyond prepping for a baby or adding another sibling.  Not bad, just different, and I need a minute to morn the closing of the stage that was and will be such a big part of my life! 9 years with Little Littles :)

So, back to the excitement of Mason learning to walk with the Walker.  Emma was so proud

Nope, he didn't spill anything, that's ALL drool!

[VIDEO]

and then we got creative with a game of throwing balls down the stairs and catching them in the bucket....you gotta do what you gotta do in the dead of MN Winter

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and then Friday morning Emma got the stomach flu for a total of 2 hours.  After 2 hours she was begging for food and bouncing off the walls and never looked back.  I would have thought it was something she ate, but then Libby came down with it Saturday afternoon.  Hers lasted a little longer, but by 24 hours she was back to her self.  Poor kiddos, they were the same two that got sick over Christmas.

Before Libby was hit we escaped for some skating

and each girl wanted their own picture with mama

knowing Libby may not be feeling up to Sunday morning Mass and not wanting to expose everyone to her germs, I snuck away for 5pm at Saint Victoria.  It was a nice treat. 

Daddy went to 8:30 Sunday morning with #1 and #3, they stopped for a quick hair cut and donuts on the way home

I told them to eat their donuts in the car since it wasn't fair to E-Liz

Play time, Dr. Craigmile awaiting her next patient

Practicing which side to comb his hair to, for his one year pictures

We made cookies a while back to deliver to Joey at his hockey games as an early birthday gift, they are his favorite cookies!

trying to remember all of the little details that I will soon forget

Getting creative and still moving a little Cosmic Yoga to warm us up!

We love our ordinary.  We would love even more to have no more sickness this winter!

Happy February!