It DOES take a village

*this is Micro watching me prep his bath, I just love the way he's looking at me

Yippee! Hooray! Micro turned 1! It was a momentous occasion. We had so much fun celebrating his birthday with family that had flown in from the East Coast and many loved family and friends too. Mr. Flizz and I can't thank each and every one of you enough for making his birthday a true celebration. We are very blessed!

Looking back on Micro's first year of life, it truly is unbelievable how much has happened. I hate to be so cliche, but it does take a village to raise a child. I could not have survived this past year without the endless love, support, and encouragement from my husband, parents, sister, in-laws, and good friends. Motherhood is so much more than being responsible for someone who is completely dependent on you. The unexpected joy it's brought me is unparalleled. There were definitely trying times (as I'm sure there will be for the rest of my life). But I've learned quite a few things, like putting on a diaper with one hand, that it's ok to make up my own lyrics when I've forgotten how a lullaby goes, that the advice of Dr. Karp goes a long way ("rise to his level"), sacrificing a shower means the rest of the world will have to suffer, I still detest poo, living in diapers is the easy life, crying can be a good thing, and that when it comes to Micro, there's nothing I wouldn't do to make his life better. His smile alone (even after 30 solid minutes of constant crying) is my reward at the end of a hard day.

Parenthood is HARD; it's hard on the marriage, it's hard emotionally and physically. Yet it's one of the best jobs there is. So I tip my hat to all the moms and dads before me, because even if you've only raised one "Micro", you've managed to survive the toughest job on earth.