[ i heart faces . best face photo ]

The theme this week at iheartfaces is "Best Face Photo from January 2011." I've been secretly loving IHF for a while, but this week I'm being gutsy and doing it. I'm entering my first photo, entry #451. And um... in my mind, this is pretty much the best face ever from January. It captured my sweet boy the very moment he turned one year old... in his pure, raw, happy self. 

*For more "Best Face Photos from January 2011" Go to iheartfaces, or click on their logo below.

[ 1st birthday partaaay ]

You had such a fun first birthday party, baby!

When: 

Saturday January 15th 4:00pm

Where:

Your house!

Who:

*Mommy, Daddy, Breck, & Baby B#2. 

*Great Gramps (Great Grams was in the hospital and couldn't make it. :(   )

*Grammy, Poppa, & Nana Anna

*Mamaw & Papaw

*Uncle Brandon, Aunt Lindsay, & Maxon

*Uncle Jus

*Uncle Dave, Aunt Krystal & Jaden

*(Grandpa GG, Uncle Aaron, Aunt Holly, Dylan & Brody 

would have loved to have come too, but were thinking of you, I know!)

The Theme:

"Color"

Because you have literally brought so much color into our lives this past year! 

The Menu: 

Pulled pork sandwiches, chips & dip, veggies & dip, pickles, clementines, and cupcakes. (The menu was seriously simple, cuz what kind of gourmet food does a one year old really dig!?)

Family birthday party picture!

Happy 1st Birthday Breck Reid Banner

This was taken a few nights before your party while Momma was frosting the cupcakes... and you looked SUPER cute modeling your birthday hat in the background! I was so proud of you that you left it on for quite a while - while Mommy was baking! 

"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!"

Nah, you weren't shedding a tear, you were just lovin' on your Bearpo. :) 

This is what you've been doing lately whenever you happen upon Bearpo.

 And I must say you love, to look at pictures of yourself! You get sheepishly bashful, when we point out that it's you, but always come back for more. 

Breck Is One Banner

You and Mamaw chatting it up before the party...

Told ya, there was color!

This was your official party hat, but you just didn't want anything to do with it. :)

But you did manage to keep this one on for quite a while. 

Great Gramps and Grams got you your very first rocking horse!

Maxon and Breck... you are SO into showing other babies your love lately. :)

Not much changed from the way you opened gifts at Christmas... you really love to leave the unwrapping up to Mommy and Daddy. Daddy was a good baby clothing model. :)

You and your friends playing with your new baby magnets from Grammy and Poppa.

Aunt Krystal and J-baby!

You and Papaw playing with the new birthday cake toy from Mommy and Daddy! It's SO cool! You can blow our your own candles after they light up!

Cake time! Make a wish! 

Mmmm. Mmm. Good. 

Ok, confession. That blue cupcake may or may not have been your first cupcake.  We couldn't stand to wait and see what you'd do with a load of cake, frosting, and sprinkles, so we cheated, and let you have one early. Plus, everyone knows daylight makes for better cupcake pictures anyways. I'm so glad we cheated, because these are my favorite pictures! 

This was just something extra special that I want you to remember when you look back on your birthday weekend. Mamaw finished her journal to you and it's precious! She started it once she found out Mommy was pregnant with you and she recorded special dates and her thoughts, hopes, prayers, and dreams for you. How incredibly special for you to have this treasure from Mamaw for forever. 

We can't wait to watch you celebrate many, many more years to come! 

And as Great Gramps would say... Now you're officially living your second year of life!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

[ breck's birth story ]

In honor of your first birthday, I want to record your birth story. I wish I would have done this nine months ago while it was fresh on my mind, I figure it's better to do it now, a year out from your birth, than to never sit down and do it at all. And by that time, it's likely I would forget all of the little details that I want to always remember! So here it goes...

Five weeks before you were due, a stranger asked me how much longer I had to go, their response when I told them? Oh, wow! It won't be much longer! I bet you're ready to get it over with! My response once I was alone? I cried. I sobbed. I was not ready to "get it over with." I didn't want you to leave my body. I loved experiencing your every move, having that special relationship with you that no one else in the world had. But, by the end of those five weeks... I was ready to see you. To hold you. To know you.

We tried every old wives tale we've ever heard of that supposedly induces labor. We tried spicy food, spicy food, and more spicy food (Mama didn't mind this, since I craved anything and everything spicy while I was pregnant with you!), mexican food, taking brisk walks, primrose oil, baths in lavender, and even that act that created you! But you just wouldn't have any part of it. Right around your due date I began to have several Braxton Hicks contractions and false labor, which got us SO excited to meet you, but you weren't ready and I don't blame you. So, we watched my due date, January 19, 2010 come and go. On January 22 (Friday) Miss Gail (our midwife) had Mommy go into her office to have a Non-Stress Test, where they put two monitors on Mommy's belly and monitored your movements and your heart-rate for about a half hour. Miss Gail was slightly concerned that your heart-rate was baselining in the 150s and got up into the 170s when you moved around, so she admitted us to Triage for them to monitor you a little more closely. I called Daddy and he immediately left work, went home packed the whole car up with our things for the hospital just in case we had to stay, and then met me at the hospital. We were  at the hospital for quite a while before they decided it was safe to go home once your heart-rate went back down. They dismissed us from the hospital and Daddy and I decided we would go to our favorite restaurant for lunch, Marie Catribs as one last hoo-rah before you came. We sensed that it might be soon! That evening and the next morning Daddy noticed that I wasn't saying things like Wow, he's really kicking! or Look, Babe! Look at him moving! Once Daddy asked me if I had felt you moving, I realized it hadn't been as much as I usually had. On January 23 (Saturday), Miss Gail called around Noon to find out how I was doing. I mentioned that it seemed as though you weren't moving as much as what you had been. Her tone of voice became very serious and said We don't mess around when it comes to decreased fetal movement this late in a pregnancy, I want you to head to the hospital again and I'll order an ultrasound, another Non-Stress Test, and a test to measure the amniotic fluid. We became fairly concerned at the reality of your lack of movement, grabbed our bags for the hospital in preparation this may be it... the last time we are at home without you. Knowing that the next time we walked through that apartment door #5 would be with you and your car seat in tow! How exciting! Wouldn't you know, that as soon as we got to the hospital and put those belts and monitors around Mommy's tummy... you started moving like crazy! Of course! You've always been a cute little tease, and you must have been teasing us then! Those monitors always made you move like crazy! We were so relieved to see losts of movement from you. They did the ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid around 2:00pm. Boy, was that interesting; we saw a head full of hair floating around in that fluid! After all the tests coming back ok, we consulted with Miss Gail via the triage nurse to decide what to do from there. Miss Gail felt like, with being overdue, and having two scares with you in two days... we may want to think about induction. Mommy certainly was a little nervous to think about being induced. We wanted to go completely natural with no pain medications, but knew that the synthetic contractions that come from pitocin, were much more intense than natural contractions. But I was determined to go natural no matter what, and with the encouragement of your amazing daddy we decided to go ahead and be induced. Miss Gail wanted to prescribe Mommy a good sleeping pill, dismiss us to go home, and get a good nights rest and come in the next evening to begin the induction process. Well, Daddy and I really, really liked Miss Gail and knew that if we did it on that time table... she would not be on call by the time we were ready to deliver. Mommy wanted Miss Gail to deliver more that I wanted a good nights rest, so we asked her if we could just be admitted to the hospital that night, still with a nice sleeping aid, and be induced the next morning so that we could be assured she would deliver you. She was fine with that, and flattered I'm sure. ;) So, we were getting settled into our delivery room by 4:00pm that afternoon. We ate dinner, showered, and got unpacked that evening. Even though it would have made for a more interesting story having an amniotic fluid gush during church or in the mall food court, it was nice to be admitted, have a plan, have time to get settled, and not be rushed. Grammy came to visit and say hi before all the action started the next morning, and Mamaw and Papaw made it into town by 10:00pm; which was very important, because Mamaw and Grammy were planning to be present during your birth! That evening, before bed, the nurses started Cervidil on Mommy, which thinned and softened the cervix, making it easier for you to come. Mommy woke around 6:00am the next morning (Sunday, January 24th, you're birthday!!!) to go to the bathroom and discovered that my water had broke! YAY! How exciting! Miss Gail came in to check on Mommy and I was dilated to 1cm, maybe 2cm. She said that it would probably be 10-12 more hours of labor. They began Pitocin in Mommy's IV at 8:00am. Lights dimmed, flameless candles in every nook of the room, and Enya playing softly in the background... we were ready to do this. Notice I said we, your Daddy was just as much a part of this happening as Mommy. He was my hero. I couldn't have done it without him. About an hour into having the Pitocin, everything started happening very, very quickly. My contractions began to pick up and become very intense, very quickly. The contractions were so close together and coming back to back that Mommy barely had time to rest in between.  I found that the jets in the bathtub were one of my biggest pain relievers. It was soothing to have the water pulsing and the sound distraction of the jets during a contraction. I remember Grammy and Daddy helping me not to scowl during a contraction. They were always smoothing my eye brows out for me, because I couldn't remember to do it by myself during the intense pain. I literally had to be coached through every single contraction. Daddy, Mamaw, Grammy, and our nurse Kristen were all wonderful coaches! I remember at one point while I was laboring on the birthing ball, I was looking at Mamaw but it was almost like I was looking through her and it was nearly an out-of-body experience. Mamaw said later that she could tell that I wasn't quite there... that I was somehow coping with the pain but not fully there. By about 11:00am I was dilated to 7cm. I was so relieved to know that the pain I had felt was actually getting us somewhere... getting us to the point of finally being able to meet you! In my mind... everything began to go SUPER fast by this point. My labor progressed so fast they called Miss Gail at home and she had to rush back to the hospital. By the time she arrived back to the hospital she checked me and I was at 9cm. Everyone seemed to be rushing around to get things ready and I was suddenly feeling the urge to push. I couldn't believe that we were SO close to seeing you. I knew that in a matter of minutes I would finally meet you! There was a mirror right behind Miss Gail so that I could see my progress and literally get to see you being born. Mommy pushed for about 15-20 minutes total. Right as your head was crowning, Miss Gail said Honey, Reach down here and feel your baby! THAT was amazing... getting to feel you just seconds before you were officially born, but yet while you were still safe inside my body. A few more pushes and your head was out! There was your sweet face! I remember the squeals of Mamaw and Grammy as they just kept saying Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!!! Look at his cheeks!!! They were SO excited and so giddy to see you that Miss Gail actually had to ask them to quiet down a bit. :) Miss Gail let Daddy get in position to help deliver you. Several more BIG pushes and screams... and there you were, Breck Reid! You were beautiful, slick, red, soft, and screaming! There were tears, laughter, and squeals of joy echoing all throughout the room right after you were born. There was such a flooding of amazing new emotions I had never felt before that came over me all at once... and all I could do was laugh and cry at the same time as say My baby! My baby! I will never forget the way I felt when they laid you up on my chest at 12:26pm on January 24, 2010! They laid you on your stomach as they put you on my chest. You immediately heard my voice and looked up right into my eyes. We locked eyes and it was unforgettable. I wish I had a picture of my view at that moment, but the one in my mind is so vivid, I'm quite certain I'll never forget it. We soon realized you had an entire head full of beautiful red hair! The color of your hair was the exact same color as Daddy's beard! And with the amount of hair that you had... no wonder we saw it floating around in the ultrasound the day before! That day was one of the happiest days of our lives, Breck. We will never, ever forget it as long as we live. The day God gave us you. The day you made us a Daddy and a Mommy! We love you, sweet boy! 

Love Forever and For Always, Mommy and Daddy

(Breck 9 days old. Photo taken by the talented Barbara Hoffman!)

[ happy one year birth.day breck reid ]

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweetheart! 

  No one could have prepared me for how much I could love you. You and your Daddy love you oh so much and we have been blessed to watch you grow up to your first birthday. What an amazing year it has been watching you grow, develop, explore, and getting to know the people you love. You light up with you see your Daddy and Mommy... and all of your aunts, uncles, and grandparents!  I can't believe that every day you still amaze us with something new. Your personality at the age of one, is a sweet, confident, cautious, tease, flirty, bashful, goofy, and joyful one. You have been understanding phrases that we say now and doing what we ask you to. It's crazy to think you know what we are saying to you, but you just can't quite communicate it back to us! You are pretty much eating what we eat and all table food in addition to your bottles/nursing. Mommy still makes a yummy homemade baby soup that we stock up on so that we know you are still getting some wholesome, nutritious foods. You say Daaa-da and Daddy all of the time. I'm still dying to hear you say Mama and Mommy! Poppa has heard you say Don't touch (while pointing to a candle). And you've said Aaaa-done (for all done). When you are all done with your meal, we say all done, and you smile and clap! At dinner, you now put your hands together and squint your eyes during prayer... it's precious! We go to the doctor tomorrow for your one year check-up! I'll have to update this with your new height and weight! You are wearing 12 months clothes for the most part, but there are a few 18 month things that don't look to bad on you either. :) You wear a size 4 shoe and a size 3 diaper. (I think you've worn a size 3 diaper for the longest for sure... I feel like you've worn that size forever!) You love any toy with wheels... trains and dumptrucks are your favorite! You light up and giggle when we play with a choo-chooo train and say Choooo-choo, chuga, chugga, chuggga, choo-choooo. You dance and shake your head back and forth anytime you hear music or we say boogie, you've got quite the rhythm little man! You still love bath time... as always. You take a morning and afternoon nap and sleep from about 7:30/8:00pm-6:30/7:00am. You're a growing boy and it'll be a pleasure for your Daddy and I to watch you celebrate many more birthdays to come!  

Today, I decided that all laundry, dishes, cleaning, and to-dos will wait. Today is about you... so that's what we're doing. We've played together, read together, watched Praise Baby together, had breakfast and lunch together... you're taking a little birthday snooze right now, and we made a little birthday cake up for you to enjoy tonight! This evening we will probably celebrate by having a little cake, watching all of the videos of you in the hospital, and documenting your height on your growth chart! 

Mommy put a candle in your pear this morning and sang Happy Birthday to you! You are a lucky kid, because Mommy doesn't sing out loud by herself for anyone, but you!

Helping Mommy make your little cake... Yes, you opened all of these doors!

The moment you entered this world. January 24, 2010 12:26pm 

...and exactly one year later...

The moment you turned ONE. January 24, 2011 12:26pm 

Your last Breck and Friends episode... kind of sad that they are done. :(

Mommy and Breck on your BIRTH.day...

Mommy and Breck on your 1st Birthday!

--I'll insert a picture of you and Daddy on your birthday later when he gets home from work!--

I will never forget the way I felt when they laid you up on my chest at 12:26pm on January 24, 2010! They laid you on your stomach as they put you on my chest. You immediately heard my voice and looked up right into my eyes. We locked eyes and it was unforgettable. I wish I had a picture of my view at that moment, but the one in my mind is so vivid, I'm quite certain I'll never forget it.  I've wanted to record your birth story for a while, and although I wish I could have done it nine months ago while it was fresh on my mind, I figure it's better to do it now, a year out from your birth, than to never sit down and do it at all. And by that time, it's likely I would forget all of the little details that I want to always remember! Your birth story and 1st birthday party pictures... coming soon! Promise!