Today is Mia’s first birthday, which is also the international day for “ask the parents when they’re having the next baby.” So I’m going to just get out ahead of it and let you know that it will be a cold day in hell before I have 2 children under 2 years old. So no. Not yet. Not soon. Not thinking about it.

Right after I had Mia I wondered to anyone I met with multiple children WHY OH WHY they voluntarily put themselves through the pain of childbirth more than once. I mean the first time I get it – you have no idea what you’re in for. But after that, you’re just an idiot, or a glutton for punishment. Everyone I talked to smiled and laughed and said, “oh it’s just too fresh – you’ll forget how awful it was.”

LIARS. All of them.

One year ago today I pushed a 7.5 pound child out my vagina – for 19 hours. Just let that sink in for a minute. I have not and will not forget that. Ever. And if by some small chance my husband manages to trick me into doing it again I will have more drugs in my system than Paula Abdul on an episode of American Idol.

But all the ridiculous memories aside, today is about Mia. She’s been earthside for an entire year and she is absolutely the most incredible, wonderful, joyful, frustrating, fun, difficult, awesome thing that ever happened to us.

Today is also a special day for me because it marks one full year of breastfeeding Mia. I know that sounds like a simple thing to celebrate but it was NOT easy, and it was SO important to me and I am really, really proud of myself, of Mia and of Dan for reaching this major milestone. According to government statistics, less than 10% of full time working mothers are still breastfeeding at 6 months. So that number is likely much smaller for working moms still breastfeeding at one year. I am so happy that we were able to make it work for this long, and I will treasure forever and ever the many tiring, sweet, sleepy moments the two of us spent rocking in the nursery (or sitting on a plane, or in a restaurant, or the home depot lumber yard or the Hannaford produce section) filling Mia’s belly with nutritious milk and filling my heart with love unlike any I’ve ever felt before.

Raising a child is so hard and so happy. Thank you Mia, for teaching me to be a mother.

Here’s to your first year of life:

 

Also, there was a party. And it was pretty sweet.