My sweet, beautiful, bright-eyed, and goofy Bazooka—it’s YOUR birthday!

It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that this year has simultaneously been the best and the most challenging of my life.

12 months ago, I held you in my arms for the first time and stared at your sweet dimples, your tiny mouth, and your impossibly long eyelashes.

This year has flown by, and I’ll admit I’m getting a little misty-eyed typing this.

Sweet Bazooka, you enrich our lives so much. Your smile, your laughter, and your snuggles truly make each day better and brighter than the last.

It may be your birthday, but you’ve given me the best gift to date.

This is to honor your first year.

1. Until you have one of your own, babies are just babies. Your own baby, however, will fill your heart so full that it hurts. And, yes, he will be the cutest baby ever.

2. Babies are magicians! Their side/back will be covered in a pool of urine (no, it’s not sweat), and yet their diaper will be completely dry. It’s an absolute marvel, and I’m guessing this is a boy thing. (Also, remember to aim down.)

3. Baby books, videos, childbirth classes, etc. are great for economics, but, truly, the only way to know is by doing. It will take some trial and error, and you will surely make some mistakes, but babies are resilient and forgive/forget easily.

4. Instinct is everything. Always respect your doctors’ medical opinions, but hold true to your convictions and instincts when you feel strongly. Doing anything else besides following your intuition will cause more heartache in the end.

5. Invest in an external hard drive if you don’t already have one. The sheer amount of photos you will take of your baby will take “obsessed” to a new level. But every single one of those pictures—the first gassy “smile,” the grouchy “old man” face, and the lip-curling pout are worth capturing. You’ll want to save these irreplaceable memories in several different places.

6. Baby teeth hurt. On the finger. On the toe (yes, my baby bit my toe once!). And especially on “the girls.” Try not to scream—it will frighten him.

7. Hearing the word “ma-ma” is unlike any sound in the world. Never forget it.

8. “Comparison is the thief of joy.” You—as a parent—have little impact on when a baby reaches developmental milestones. Seriously, it’s in their genes. Babies will sit, crawl, walk, and babble when they are good and ready. Don’t make yourself crazy. Just enjoy the stages and phases as they present themselves because they pass quickly.

9. Asking for help does not mean you’re weak; it means you’re smart. Nobody is super-mom.

10. It’s ok to miss your “old life.” This doesn’t mean you’re a bad mom, or that you love your baby less than you should. It simply means that you’re human and that always putting another before yourself is difficult and exhausting sometimes.

11. “Nose Frida” > bulb syringe. Although using either will make you hate life. (Refer to #3—babies are resilient and forgive.)

12. 365 days later (& counting), you will still marvel at the fact that you—your body—created, grew, nourished, birthed, and kept alive a real, tiny human who knows no other comfort or reality except for you. Your smell. Your warmth. Your voice. Your comfort and protection. I still can’t wrap my mind around it.

Happy birthday, my sweet, sweet boy. You make our lives so very full, and we look forward to watching you grow, learn, and experience for many years to come.

• If you’re a mother, what do you remember most from that first year?
• If you don’t have children, what are some of the preconceptions you have?
• Elaborate first birthday parties—worth it or a waste of time?