One Year Update - Grady
Grady turned one on September 1st. I was surprised by the wave of emotions that swept over me. I am not typically an emotional person, but when it comes to my family, it is something that can cause me to weep like a baby. I felt all sorts of things as I thought back over the last year…
I remember the last days before Grady was born. I was so miserable, drinking at least 15 water bottles a day due to a likely undiagnosed case of gestational diabetes. I was huge; I had gained 70 pounds. This is especially impressive when you know that I only weighed 100 pounds when I became pregnant. Everything was swollen which made it hard to go up and down the stairs at our house. The last few nights I didn’t sleep. I remember staying up watching I Am Sam. I sent an email to a coworker and he replied the next morning asking why the hell I was sending emails at 2:30am.
I think back to the day I went to labor. I constantly text my friend Meghan, “Do I go now?” I remember realizing that it was the real deal and telling Jacob I wanted a Papa John’s Pizza before we went to the hospital.
I remember realizing it was time, waking up Jacob to tell him we needed to go to the hospital, and him responding “WHY?!?!” Apparently he had forgotten the last nine months.
I remember the delivery. My labor was easy… it was the pushing that was horrible. I also remember wishing I had eaten more of that pizza. I was starving and they’d only give me ice chips.
I remember seeing Grady. It was all worth it.
Those first few nights, weeks and months were HARD. But to tell the truth, I miss it. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that time and embrace it more. I’d worry less about the house and other errands. If I could go back, I’d tell myself to hold him a little longer because soon he won’t be so little.
I think back to each milestone and how much we celebrated (and bragged). I remember the nights of him crying every few hours. I would pray that God would let me get some sleep. Now, on the rare occasion that Grady needs me in the night, I enjoy those middle of the night cuddles.
At one year-old, Grady is walking, jabbering, waving, has LOTS of teeth, waves, and shakes his head no before he does something naughty.
We love this kid to the moon and back and can’t believe he is ours!
