We Did It!

Wow.  Tonight Jeff and I crept into Dutch’s room and watched him sleep.  As we tiptoed out of the room, we gently closed the door and Jeff pulled me into his arms.  “We did it, Sauce.  We did it.”  I smiled up at him.  Yes, we did it.  We made it through one year of parenthood, and a first birthday party. 🙂  And it all was more wonderfully amazingly deliciously fabulous than we could ever have imagined.

Dutch was so wonderful today.  We sang him happy birthday this morning as we got him up from his crib, then I made Dutch Babies for breakfast, a sort of baked pancake that puffs up in the oven, that you eat with powdered sugar on top.  He played contentedly, had a bath, went with us for a walk, and watched me give Daddy a hair cut.  He was too wired for an afternoon nap, so I was afraid that he might melt down when we had 18 guests for his birthday party.  But, once again I underestimated the Dutcher.  He was wonderful.  But most of all I was wowed and amazed at the friends and family who made this day so special.  Oma and Papa worked, getting things ready for the party.  Papa vacuumed and Oma went into town for special balloons for Dutch’s big day.  Daddy put out the Happy Birthday sign and helped me get the food ready.  Grandpa and Grandma Patterson and Great-Grandma Ricketts came from California just for the party!  Papa and Nana Richter made the trek over from Bend for the day just for the party.  Uncle John, Aunt Brenda, and cousin Brooke came from Phoenix, and Aaron and Candi and baby Hannah came from Boston!  Jeremy, Melea, Megan, and Vicki made special appearances for his special day, and Great-Grandma Ruthe came down from Lake Oswego.  They absolutely showered Dutch with gifts–new clothes (that will fit him!), an amazing classic Radio Flyer beginner bike, his first big tub of baby Leggos, a complete Nerf sports ball set, books that sing, a savings bond (!), a gold Kruggerong (!), a sizable check (!), bath toys, meal-time toys … the list goes on and on!  He is one blessed little boy!

What I’m left with is this:  Raising our son is definitely not a solo act.  Of course it’s God who gives us the strength, wisdom, preserverence, and patience every day. But it is our friends and precious family who stand with us, love our son, bless him and invest in him and take joy in him and care for him, it is these amazing people who live life with us who truly make Dutch the amazing boy that he is.  I want to do whatever I can to invest in these amazing relationships, so that Dutch can learn from them and so that his life can be colored and shaped by theirs.

THank you to all of you who blessed Dutch today with your presence, phone calls, cards, and gifts.  Wow.  Jeff and I collapse into bed tonight sweetly exhausted.  What an amazing day.  I am truly blessed.

We did it.  We made it through the first year.  Because of you all.  We made it because of you.