Happy Birthday, Joshie

Exactly a year ago to the minute, I was in much pain. Brian was driving us to St. Paul's and I was constantly yelling at him to slow down and stop going over bumps. I remember it well. It was the day of the big wind storm in Vancouver that took down trees in Stanley Park that were over 200 years old. We had no clue what was going on outside. We only knew about the storm because the water in the hospital toilet was brown and we were told not to drink the tap water.

Josh was born at 6:36pm a year ago today. I'm sure that I will be going through snip-its of "at this time a year ago, I was..." throughout the day. They say that you forget. I haven't forgotten. I still remember the pain. I still remember the confusion and frustration of breastfeeding and jaundice in the days that followed. I still remember the extreme exhaustion in the weeks that followed. I remember the loneliness and sadness of baby blues and I remember the helplessness when I didn't know what to do. It was the most difficult time of my life. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

If you had asked me a year ago whether I thought I could love someone this much, I wouldn't have known what you were talking about. Children are magical. I see Brian light up everytime he sees Josh and it's the best feeling. We are so blessed to have Josh.

And I can't believe that he has changed so much in just one year! Compare photos from when he was born with these photos from the past month. Not only is Josh practically running around, but his squats put even the best yoga instructors to shame - he's very bendy! (That was for you, Bri!)... He is learning to brush his teeth (or knaw on his toothbrush anyway!)...
Nikita is enjoying Josh's company more and more (or at least she's making it look that way!)...
And he's learning to use facial expressions and make noises to get what he wants (not that it would take much with us!)...
It's been an unforgettable experience being first-time parents. I can't wait to see what the next year brings. Happy 1st Birthday, Joshie. We love you more than you'll ever know!