Stefan’s first year came and went. It was full of firsts and unknowns, a lot of learning, fun, exhaustion, and an overwhelming sense of happiness and gratefulness! I tried to take as many pictures as I could to capture this fleeting time and create memories for all of us. Hopefully one day Stefan will appreciate having this window into his babyhood!

The first month, as expected, was the most challenging. Not only was my body recovering from a c-section (which went faster than expected), but not knowing what’s normal for a baby, was intense. Let’s just say, there were a lot of calls to the nurse line in the middle of the night! But that time quickly passed and Stefan got stronger every day and made us more confident parents.

No hair, no eyebrows and no lashes, but who cares 🙂 Other than an issue with his digestive system, where it was painful for him to pass gas or poop, he was a happy, healthy and very strong baby from the start. He gained weight and was close to the top percentile, hated sleeping on his back and preferred to be held sitting up. By the second month he started smiling and that was a heart-melting moment for mamma’s heart 🙂

By the third month he was rolling from his tummy to his back, was drooling a lot and picking toys and sticking them in his mouth. He was becoming more aware and it was fun to interact with him.

Stefan was wearing 9 month sized clothes at four months. He loved tummy time, even in the swing he preferred to be on his tummy. Sleeping in the swing never worked for Stefan. Mommy needed to get out of the house, so we visited 4 OC Regional Parks in this month. He loved watching the world outside from the carrier.

At five months, Stefan was already sitting up unassisted and loved his feet. I had to go back to work and that was a very tough transition for me. He started sleeping poorly after I went back to work, so I’m sure the change had an impact on him as well. I am grateful that I could work from home some days initially and we had grandma watching him.

Stefan continued to have a steady growth and make us happy. He started solids and loved to try new foods. Going out and seeing new places was a favorite activity!

Stefan was spoiled with love from all his grandparents, who came to visit for 2 months. He definitely loved the attention. He started to pull himself to standing and almost started crawling. Loved solid food and demanded to eat everything I ate.

He loved bath time, tearing tissues in small pieces, playing in grass and sand, and pulling on the kitchen faucet. He became an expert crawler and got two teeth.

He started to show his love of music by dancing. Grandpa taught him how to kick the ball. Stefan loved seeing other kids and babies play and loved the ocean and sand. He became an expert at pulling grass.

This energizer bunny started walking and went non-stop all day. The only time he was still was during sleep. Taking pictures became more challenging 🙂 He got 4 teeth and continued to teeth. Separation anxiety was getting stronger. He did not like to be away from mommy at all.

Stefan loved to eat everything we did. How lucky were we! He also proved to be a great travel buddy on his first flight to Hawaii. He visited his first National Park – Haleakala National Park. Who knows maybe he’ll be a national park collector like his parents one day.

By his first birthday, Stefan was a confident walker and curious explorer of drawers. He understood a lot but did not always listen. He knew his toys by name and loved Christmas lights, which were everywhere in December. He loved playing peek-a-boo and catch.

I can’t wait to see him grow into a smart, gentle and healthy boy! I’m beyond blessed to be his mommy!