Clay's first year: A reflection & What we did on the big day! - REVISED

On March 25, 2011 at 5:53 am, our sweet boy officially turned one year old!  In the weeks leading up to his birthday, waves of sentimentality would wash over me as I would think "this time last year" Rachel spent the weekend with me while I was on bed rest, this time last year I was admitted to the hospital for bed rest, this time last year Dr. Wagman told me if Clay wasn't here by Tuesday she was going to induce me (ha ha, he was born just 13 hours later!).  I loved every second of the reminiscing and have loved every second of Clay's life!  Jim and I were truly blessed to have this child given to us.  Truly the perfect child for us at the perfect time, God is so good and His divine plan is honestly better than anything that I could have imagined.


In honor of Clay's first birthday, I'd like to quickly do Clay's birth story in a nutshell (hey look, I'm Clay's birth story and I'm in a nutshell - Austin Powers anyone?) so, here we go.  After 3 1/2 weeks of bed rest (some at home and some in the hospital), we went to Dr. Wagman's office to get checked.  At that point I was 37 weeks and 1 day with early markers of preeclampsia.  Dr. Wagman said if C didn't come before Tuesday I'd be induced.  I was given the option of going to the perinatologist to be sure that my fluids were good; I jumped all over that chance and told Dr. Wagman I wanted to go just to be sure that I didn't have a huge baby because if I did, I wanted a C-section.  She said okay after my explanation that Jim's sister's first baby, Sweet Joseph, was 9 lbs., 4 oz. and she did not have a C-section (I still marvel at her because my sister-in-law is a petite little thing!)  So Jim and I left the appointment ecstatic to know that there was a definite due date!  Grandparents could start making plans to get in from out of town and we knew "for sure" we had one more child-free weekend and we planned to make the most of it!


So, it was a Wednesday night, Jim picked up BBQ, he fell asleep on the couch while I watched Wednesday night shows.  I tried to go to sleep but kept going to the restroom.  Yes, that's common in pregnancy but this was needing to use the restroom every 15 minutes.  Finally, one of the last times I went, I realized my water broke (I kept "going" after I was done, if that makes sense), I wasn't sure if it was my water breaking and prayed that God would realize that I needed a bigger sign if my water had indeed broken; cue more water breaking so I was then sure I was having a baby.  I started laughing, Jim called "the wag" (Dr. Wagman), I started having contractions (which I timed using my favorite app called "Contraction Master", it did all the work for me!), and we headed to the hospital.  My first contraction was at 12:45 am and from the start, they were only 5 minutes, 15 seconds apart or less!  We called the 'rents and texted our friends and family (didn't want to wake anyone).  By 1:27am my contractions were 2 minutes, 38 seconds apart and I was officially admitted to the hospital and hooked up to monitors.  Between the time I was admitted and the time I was given my pitocin, I'd already gone from a 3 to a 4, then I was given my epidural (LOVED IT!), and was told to rest for a few hours.  Sleep never came for me and I just had an intense need to use the restroom (the kind that the catheter wouldn't take care of).  I told the nurse and she said that was normal.  When she came back in 45 minutes later, I told her the intense pressure (but not pain) was just increasing, she checked me and I was at a 10.  She was shocked and called Dr. Wagman.  Then came the fun part: waiting for The Wag to show up...for a good 45 minutes to an hour...just waiting.  In retrospect, I think that probably let my body do more work for me so it wasn't too bad.  She literally walked in, put down her purse, scrubbed up, and at 5:40am had me start pushing.  Then at 5:53am (13 minutes later, peeps), our sweet boy was born and well, it was pure BLISS!  We found out later that my symptoms had turned into full blown preeclampsia and that's why Clay came early.  So glad that he did because it's that many days more that I got to have that sweet baby with me!  This was without a doubt, the best day of our married life so far!

On our way to the hospital!

Clay Garner Morgan:  Born March 25, 2010 at 5:53 am.  6lbs, 9 oz; 19 1/4 inches long

That day and each day since have been amazing.  Clay has brought such joy and happiness to our lives and is just an absolute blessing.  He's been an easy baby from the word go!  I am a big believer that God gives you what you need and the fact that God gave us Clay has made me feel so blessed but it also makes me wonder what God sees in us that made it so obvious that we needed a chill little man.  :)


dada" and "mama" for the first time on the same day, the way he would fall asleep in my arms or on my chest, seeing him master new concepts and tasks, the way that he sometimes clings as I try to put him in his crib, the way he gives sweet hugs, his capacity for joy as well as his ability to bring joy to those around him, the way that he had what seemed like months on end where he was either in a drool soaked bib or biting his tongue as a result of teething, the way that even when he was super sick or hurt he was still so sweet and seemed to want to make his family feel better, the way that he would stick out his tongue at 3 months old because he recognized it was funny and would make Mommy laugh, the way he fell in love with books, the fact that he's crazy about a cat who isn't always crazy about him, the way he likes to dance, the break neck speed with which he crawled around the house, the way he chomped down on his crib like a beaver, the way he loves his paci and yet is still a good sport about waving bye to it when the pacis get left in the crib while we're awake, and so many other things.


Surprising things that I loved include but aren't limited to the nights where I was so tired yet he would cry if I put him down so I'd stay awake and keep holding him.  Another challenge was having other people there and yet being the one thing that Clay wanted and obliging him (even when I was exhausted).  I loved those moments and thanked God for them as I reminded myself that the time which that was true was fleeting and I was fortunate for each moment that it did happened.  I will always be a soft place for Clay to fall and will always be willing to provide that comfort but realize that part of doing my job and doing my son justice is accepting and allowing those things to change.


I think back to being pregnant and imagining what Clay would look like:  blond hair with Jim's serious hazelish-green eyes "knowing" that's what he would look like.  Clay came and the hair he had was downy like a duck's and it seems to be blond-red-brown but really more light brown than anything and he has an olive complexion (which always garners admiration from strangers and family alike) Jim's eye brows, my brown eyes, Jim's nose, my lips and cheeks, and Jim's smile he has all these things yet still has his own look and that whole package is so much better than the photoshop that existed in my head!


I am amazed at the changes that we have gone through over the past year!  We had a baby, I went back to work, Jim got a new job, Clay went to day care, I got to quit my job and I got to stay at home with Clay (a gift for which I am eternally grateful to both God and Jim for making possible and supporting whole-heartedly), we traveled to Connecticut, NYC, Tennessee, and throughout New Mexico and Texas ALL with a HAPPY baby in tow, and Clay learned each day and we learned along side and from him, we got more out of our existing friendships, and were also blessed with new friendships, and now our little guy is a toddler!  Life is beyond good, as is God!


Clay has a million nicknames, all of which suit him:  Clay, C, CG, Clayby, Baby Play, Little Man, The Gov'ner (said in a British accent), Monkey, Little Buddy, Buddy, Bubby, Bubba, Baby, Sweet Boy, Cutie Boy, Lovie, Love Bug, Boo Bird, and I am sure there are some that are escaping me!


Oh, don't know if this will work because we set on privacy settings, but here is a quick highlight film that Jim put together of Clay's first video (leave a comment if you want to see it but it won't let you, I may have to add your email to the permissions or something):
http://youtu.be/SO9oBRNx4OE




With all that said, let's get to Clay's birthday!!!  A few days before his party, Clay went to Mollie and Claire's so that I could get stuff done around the house - they had a blast and Melissa came over to help!

My mom flew in the night before Clay's birthday so that she should be there for his birthday and so that I would have help in getting ready for the party.  So Clay started off his birthday with Yaya in town - woo hoo!  He had his normal breakfast (chicken sausage and fruit) but with it being his birthday, he also got donut holes!  The bulk of the day was spent in Clay's normal routine with us adding in party errands and stuff.

Birthday Boy reading with Yaya; this is serious business, folks!

Birthday Boy smiling and playing!

That evening, we went out to Ft. Worth to meet up with Grand Bop, Granny, Poppa, and Cherie (our photographer) to have Clay's one year pictures taken as well as get some family pictures!  Cherie did a great job!!!  We went to multiple locations and Clay had wardrobe changes (some of which took place in the back of the car) and he was happy throughout the shoot!  Here are some of the pictures from the shoot!

Clay Garner Morgan, this is a crazy long post that I imagine only a few people will read completely.  I just have so much to say and yet not enough words with which to express how much Daddy and I love and enjoy you.  Not only that, but people who you know and people who you have never met love you.  You are a gift from God and I am so proud to be your Mommy.  Thank you for being the best baby from the word go and for being patient and unfailingly loving with Mommy and Daddy as we strive, stumble, and learn to be the best parents we can be for you.  Know that simply being you means that Mommy and Daddy will always love you because you are the best you there is!  Love you, sweet boy!