Happy 1st Birthday to you, Zachary!!!

Our sweet one year old

At birth, about 2 hours old, the first time we got to see you

Celebrating New Year's day with you. So super tiny.

1 month old. You had just got the all clear for removal of everything from your face, nasal cannula & feeding tube.

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months--had to show the pic with you and Rocky in the hospital. It was a long stretch of surgery, MRI, and many other visits to the hospital and doctors.

9 months


Couldn't resist putting the Halloween shot in of you as a lobster!

10 months

11 months

My little lobster is 1!!! One year ago he joined our crazy family, creating a little chaos of his own. It was a scary day when he was born. It was a scary few weeks in the hospital. There have been a few scary moments during the last year of his life. But, he is here with us and healthy and so fun!

A year ago we were awoken by a tornado warning alarm at 3 am. I, like any pregnant woman, had to go to the bathroom since I was awake. My water broke at that point and the nerves started to flow. After telling Skip, and calling the doctor, I feel so lucky that I have such a fabulous friend I could call. Steph accepted my 3:30 am phone call with calmness in her voice and assured me it would all be ok. I really blame her for never being scared, and for remaining quite calm about the next 7 weeks of my life!! (Thanks Steph) We made it to the hospital before the snow began and they tried to stop my contractions--which at that point were coming every 3 minutes and fairly hard. At about noon they told me that my baby (still didn't know he was a he) was beginning to get stressed, and due to (his) young age we didn't want to create any more stress on his body and lungs. It is funny thinking back that 10 minutes later he was born! The do came in, they prepped me, and began my C-section faster than I knew they could. I felt so odd after he was born being asked the question, "do you want to know what you had (boy or girl)?" I didn't care if my little one had boy or girl parts, I ONLY cared that he/she was breathing, ok, big enough to survive in this world. They told me a boy and it didn't even matter, the fact that he cried meant more to me. I didn't get to see him after he was born, not for 3 hours, and not even until they wheeled me down in my bed. It would be another 24 hours or more (was it 36?) that I got to hold him. But, I did, and he is here with us now, so all of that is but a long memory of his start. He startled us by his existence when I found out I was pregnant for the first time in 10 years. He surprised us by his early arrival. He shocked us by crying at birth. He has continued to please us by his fighter attitude and his wonderfully laid back personality. What a year it's been!

Zachary, thank you for your easy-going attitude. I am so thankful for your sweet spirit and that adorable smile. You are so in love with your sister and brother, and your dog, and they are just as in love with you. Mommy and Daddy feel so lucky that you joined our family. We feel so thankful that you are healthy and doing so well. You know how to bat those eyelashes and gain some love from everyone around you. When you are determined you can army crawl across the floor faster than lightning. You love playing with your sibling's toys and have found some new ones all of your own during this fun time of year. I think your favorite toys by far are your trucks and cars. Your first Christmas was filled with fun and family. You touched the snow for the first time and weren't so excited. This week you have begun to pull up to your knees and to clap, especially when we all yell "yeah Zachary". Zachary, you remain a little on the small side, still wearing size 2 diapers and some 6-9 month sized clothing. But, as I type small, I am reminded that you have more quadrupled your birth weight, something not many one year olds have done. You are a fantastic sleeper, and play so well independently. For now you are only liking the pureed baby food, but we are sure that will change soon. This fact does make it interesting when it comes time to celebrating with birthday cake (we get some, you don't, doesn't seem fair). You are still working on sitting up, but each day you seem stronger and stronger. Bath time is a favorite--and we are about to change your nickname from Lobster to frogger as you KICK and KICK in the tub. We have (nearly) taken to wearing a raincoat at bath time b/c of your splashing. We are so happy about the way you behave when we are on the go. You seem to just take whatever comes at you. Zachary, Zach, Zachy, Z-man, Lobster, Frogger, little puffy wuffy (sisters!), little Boo, whatever we choose to call you at the minute, we all LOVE you so much. Happy first birthday my littlest gift from above! Thank you God for giving this special present to us, for bringing him thru this last year with a healthy report, and for granting him with such a fabulous spirit. Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dearest Zachary, happy birthday to you!!!!!!!!!