Where did the last year go?

I know.  I'm a day late with this post.  Seems like I'm always late for everything these days.  My precious Isabella turned one yesterday and I sit here, a little sad that the year went by so fast as well as happy and proud that we survived the first year and can move on to the next part of life in our little family.  It is such a crazy thing to feel such conflicting emotions all at the same time.  Since Isabella is our last baby (unless some miraculous act of God occurs), I am grieving never having an infant again - those newborn sounds and smells and cuddles - but then I am relieved that it won't be long before the bottles, the diapers, the teething will be a thing of the past.

The Hubs and I were talking about the last year, wondering how in the world it could have gone by so fast, but as we discussed all that transpired, it made a little more sense.  Where did the last year go?  Well..........

• A little more than a week before Isabella was born, the Hubs developed a kidney stone that became lodged and darn near caused his one kidney (he was only born with one) to fail.  He was in the hospital for several days and ended up with surgery to remove the stone.
• At this same time, my maternal grandfather, Poppi, who lives here in SC, had open-heart surgery, and then the arduous recovery process that came along with it.
• Just three days after the Hubs' stint was removed, Isabella arrived and we were on that joyous, yet exhausting, adventure of the 4th trimester - learning our new baby and adjusting to being a family of four, which wasn't real easy for Madelynn, or the rest of us at times.
• When Isabella was  two-ish weeks old, my mom's side of the family came in for a family reunion for the 4th of July.  It was chaos at its best, but we had fun.
• That Fall Madelynn decided to cheer lead for the local youth organization, which led to practices and games 2 to 3 nights a week.
• Also that Fall, in September, the Hubs' youngest sister got married.  Madelynn was the flower girl and I was a bridesmaid....or matron......whatever I might've been called lol!
• That October, the Hubs' great grandmother passed away.  Granny Cooper was an amazing woman, strong and loving and a powerful figure in the family.  Isabella was named after her.
• Of course then you have all of the Fall and Winter excitement and holidays: Halloween, Fall festivals, Clemson football (GO TIGERS!!!!), Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
• Around mid-December was when Isabella began getting sick and proceeded to spend the next several months with one illness or another.  In February, she was hospitalized in the PICU for a few days, which was one of the scariest times of my life.
• Madelynn's 5th birthday was in early March and of course we had a fabulous Barbie extravaganza!
• As Spring began to arrive, my paternal grandfather unexpectedly passed away in mid/late March.  He had only begun to fight the cancer that had taken over much of his body.  So, the Hubs and I packed up the girls and hopped a plane to KC for a few days to be with the family and participate in the funeral.  Honestly, I still have days that I can't believe he is gone.  I half expect him to answer the phone when I call my Grammy.
• As the weather got warmer, we had more and more playdates with our new "mommy and me" group, which has kept us busy and running in all directions.  Madelynn loves the time with other kids and I love the time with other mommies.
• In April we began attending NewSpring Church which has kept my heart and mind full and busy.
• In May we took our family "vacation" to Myrtle Beach - boy was that fun (insert eye roll and dripping sarcasm)!  It was totally our fault - we chose a terrible week to go (college week and bike week) and we let Madelynn sort of drive us instead of insisting on periods of rest and such.  It was chaos and we had two very tired and very irritable girls on our hands by the end of the week.

And so here we are, back in June, with a boatload of events under our belts.  When I think about how fast the last year went and reflect on all of these things, it is no small wonder that it flew right by!  I am thankful for each and every joyful moment and life lesson, and I am reminded to stop and smell the roses a little bit, as we all know that that can be a challenge for me.

Happy 1st Birthday my precious Isabella!  Mommy loves you to the moon and back a bazillion times!