Celebrating CQ's first Birthday!

We celebrated our first birthday as a family. April 4th this year came so quickly I am again and again amazed at how tangible time has become since CQ joined us. We had a fantastic fun picnic in the park the Saturday before CQ's actual birthday. All our lives merged for a moment, the past, present and what seemed like the future. Friends and family came from the north and the south. It was really special and watching CQ rise to the occasion, priceless. She dug into her special cupcake Grandma Terrie baked, coconut and lemon, satisfying our baby girls tart taste buds.

On the 4th I was up and sleepless at 5am and filled with the memory of our first birth. How this moment forever and absolutely changed our lives. A year ago this time I entered into motherhood. Our first words..."wow!" became CQ's first word. I find it very appropriate that a baby's first word be "wow" and then "hi!". She had a great time with both her Ouma and Grandma at the wild animal park marveling at the butterflies and using her words every time she saw someone she wanted to befriend or a beautiful butterfly she wanted to share, lots of "Hi's "and "WOw's". Then more cake before bedtime stories with her Grandpa. What a life! I have been slow and slack online, blaming mercury being in retrograde, but also just processing the anniversary of this epic time, the birth of my first child... Hopefully I will gain some momentum back and more often share this crazy journey deeper and deeper into motherhood and doula-dom. I accompanied a mama with the birth of her baby boy, my first Doula moment. Empowered and humbled. Learning how different every single birth story is. Learning something everyday that awes me and inspires me. I love the power and brilliance of birth.