Fun to be One

January 17, 2021

Our baby girl turned one yesterday! Where did the year go?! I have been very nostalgic this week, thinking back to my pregnancy with Meredith, her birth, and the events of her first 12 months of life. One year (and a couple days) ago I was walking myself over to the L&D unit in the middle of my work day, prepared to get induced. I sat in triage getting my vitals monitored and blood draw while trying to make arrangements for Jaycob to leave work and Ady to spend the night at a friend's house. It was a whirlwind of a day, calling for acceptance and adaptability, making the best of my circumstances, and throwing my birth plan out the window. When my labor started we were in the midst of a snowstorm, so between contractions while the Pitocin was doing its thing, I was contemplating how soon to call the doula since she'd be driving through the storm, and when to send Jaycob to pick up Ady in case school closed early for a snow day. Just before 3:00 in the afternoon on January 16th, Meredith made her debut!

Who knew that the circumstances of her birth would foreshadow a year of uncertainty and that the adaptability, acceptance, and courage I mustered on that day would prepare me for the next 12+ months of world chaos?! In the week of her birth, the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in the U.S. We watched the news as the virus make its way through the world during my maternity leave. Visits from our family members were cancelled as the virus became a pandemic, and the last half of my maternity leave was complicated by homeschooling a preschooler, isolating ourselves at home as much as possible, and preparing for the uncertain environment I would enter when I returned to work in acute care. Needless to say, the entire year called for acceptance and adaptability, each day bringing new unknowns. 2020 marked the beginning of our family of four and also a paradigm shift for the whole world, and we survived a year!

Having a second baby is such a joy, easier in some ways as I trust my intuition more and I have a better grasp on the balance of routine and flexibility. It's also more challenging when my energy is divided between newborn needs and preschooler problems. Meredith and Ady have their own personalities and little selves, but so much of their identity is also wrapped up in their sisterhood and their bond with each other. Unlike her big sister, this one-year-old has yet to board an airplane or use her passport, she hasn't met any of her extended family members, and her play dates have been minimal, but her life is enriching in other ways and I know she will grow to have a unique camaraderie with the other "quarantine babies" of 2020.

We celebrated Meredith's special milestone with a Harry Potter-themed Zoom party! Meredith wore a "Chosen One" onesie and we were gifted an HP-themed banner from a friend. I made "golden snitch" truffles and "butterbeer" and we listened to the soundtrack in the background. I made a Banana-Cinnamon-Applesauce smash cake for the birthday girl and a chocolate cake with homemade strawberry ice cream for the rest of the us! I'm so thankful for the love and support from our community and the well wishes from family across the miles that helped us get through this first year.

Cheers to the birthday girl!