
I can’t believe my baby boy is one today. It seriously feels like just yesterday I was meeting his little face for the first time! The past year has flown by and it’s amazing how much can truly change in that amount of time. We feel incredibly blessed with all that’s come our way and we’ve grown a lot in this journey. Being a parent is harder than you’d think- at least for me it’s hard! But Cruz has been the biggest blessing of our lives and I know we both couldn’t have asked for more.
I was just telling my Grandma the other night that when I got pregnant I was so excited to have a baby- little did I know I was about to have the coolest little kid ever who would make my heart explode every single day. It’s amazing what motherhood does to you- even in all it’s hard moments, I still wouldn’t trade anything I’ve learned.
We had Cruz’s first birthday this past Saturday and it was such a blast! We were surrounded by great friends and family for a couple hours and Cruz really had a blast.
He had no idea the party was for him, but whatever.
Casey and Katelyn Block were so awesome to open up their home for us to have his party there. Their home is so beautiful and they are two of the most wonderful people that Jay and I know. They are like family, really. Katelyn and our other dear friend Amy made all of these adorable cupcakes for Cruz’s big day! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw all the little animals made of fondant- Katelyn really went above and beyond for us and it was such a blessing. It warmed my heart more than I think she even knows.
We had a lot of friends help out with food and everyone just came for lunch and hanging out. It was a cool day on Saturday and it was rainy! It was refreshing that it wasn’t so warm (in November) and that we could all hang out outside- despite the light drizzle! Cruz LOVED the bubble machine that was at the Block’s house. The kids all played with the bubbles and all of Cruz’s little friends were there.
Then we set up the high chair outside and presented Cruz with his little ‘smash cake’ (that Katelyn made), and we sang Happy Birthday to him. I was sort of hoping that he’d dive in and make a big huge mess.
That didn’t happen.
My kid is picky with what he puts in his mouth and the only things he really likes to eat is cheese and fruit. Maybe we should have made a cake made of just cheese? Weird.
So he just looked at the cake and he really wanted to play with the candle! So he touched it a little bit, got frosting on his face and that was about it. Ha! Then we all enjoyed the amazing cupcakes and Cruz opened presents! Well, I opened them for him, but he sat and ‘helped’. He got all kinds of goodies and he loves playing with his new toys. We were so grateful to everyone who took two hours out of their day to come celebrate with our special little man. He’s so loved and we have some of the greatest friends and family ever, who love us so much. We don’t take any of them forgranted.
So the party wasn’t long, but it was the perfect amount of time to get some great pictures and eat some great food! I keep saying it- but I can’t believe that a year has gone by. This time last year, my life was in a very different place. I had very different visions for our lives and I thought our future would be in a very different place. I had no idea that I’d be a stay at home mom, with a successful business, in-between churches and possibly moving. But I wouldn’t change anything about where we’ve come from, where we are at and where we are going. Although it’s been the most emotional couple months I’ve had in a long time, it’s clear that God is in control of our lives. It’s clear that He’s directing our steps. And it’s awesome to finally be able to relax in that.
A year ago today I saw my little man’s face for the first time. And I never thought that he’d be who he is. Everything about him has been everything and more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for. He just lights up every room he enters. He brings joy to so many, everywhere we go. And while he has a ton of energy and I’m tired all the time, I wouldn’t trade that kid for anything. I’m excited for all the birthdays that Jason and I will spend with him.
May there be many, many more!
Happy Birthday my little Cruzer man! You deserve all the best things in this life!













Tags: baby, first birthday, first birthday party, Friends, growing up, mom, motherhood