Thirteen years ago this week I became a mom for the first time. The road to motherhood was not easy. My husband and I endured four miscarriages in a little over a year. Just when I had given up and decided that being a biological mother may not be in the cards for me, I found out that I was pregnant again.
It was the start of the most amazing journey of my life.
It was the start of the most amazing journey of my life.
Now, the newborn of 13 years ago is days away from being a teenager. How can I mark this momentous occasion?
I had planned to have a little fun with this week's post in honor of my birthday boy. Then I was contacted by My Memories, a digital scrapbooking program asking if I would want to try out and review their new digital scrapbooking software. Well the themes just started to come together. The following is my birthday message to my very sweet Tom.
How is it possible that my sweet baby is 13? How can I tell you how much these last 13 years have meant to me? Having you did not change my life at all... I just got a whole new, wonderful life.
Angel baby is what I called you those first few weeks, because you were. Daddy and I could not believe our luck. You were the perfect baby.
Parents at last. After so much pain and frustration, we got our happy ending. And, then our real story began.
Putting you down in your crib was impossible for me to do in those first few months, not because you would wake up, but because I loved holding you in my arms and I didn't want to let go. (I still don't!)
Yes, you drive us crazy at times. Yes, we drive you crazy at times. Yes, that is our job. Yes, we love you so much it hurts. Yes, we are so happy and proud that you are our son.
Blues Clues was your favorite show for the first few years of your life. We watched it so much, that to this day I can't get the mail without thinking of the song, "We Just Got a Letter."
I will never forget dropping you off at preschool with tears in your eyes. My heart would break when you would say goodbye to me and then ask me to dry your tears before I left. I would work so hard to be firm with you because I knew it was best for you to go, but then I would go back in my car and cry.
Really. I'm not as tough as I seem. But I love you so much, I will gladly play the bad guy, if I think it will help you. I'm not kidding when I say I love you so much that I don't care if you hate me.
Thomas is the name we chose for you the July morning we found out you were going to be a boy. Daddy wanted to name you after Jerry Garcia. He also wanted to decorate your nursery with Loony Toons wallpaper. Morning sickness has its advantages.
Hope you know how very special you are to not only me but to our whole family. Your kind heart and wonderful spirit lights up a room, and you bring joy to so many people. I'm amazed at how you can relate to the oldest adult in the room as well as the youngest child. You have such a gift with people, I can't wait to see where it will take you.
Days have never been the same since you were born. My life and my heart just expanded the day you arrived. I have learned so much about joy, love and kindness from you. I also now know more about the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Buddy Holly than I ever thought was possible.
Hope you know how very special you are to not only me but to our whole family. Your kind heart and wonderful spirit lights up a room, and you bring joy to so many people. I'm amazed at how you can relate to the oldest adult in the room as well as the youngest child. You have such a gift with people, I can't wait to see where it will take you.
Days have never been the same since you were born. My life and my heart just expanded the day you arrived. I have learned so much about joy, love and kindness from you. I also now know more about the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Buddy Holly than I ever thought was possible.
Although I'm thrilled you are growing into an amazing person, I will always miss the times I held you in my arms, or stood over your crib with daddy and just watched you sleep. It was magical in a way you won't understand until you have your own children.
"You can be anything that you want to be, and do anything that you want to do" was the song that Steve would sing at the end of Blues Clues. Daddy and I would dance around with you and sing it with you. Please know it's true whatever anyone else may tell you.
Totally into the Beatles.
Outrageously funny.
Made me a mommy for the first time.
Happy Birthday!
Some of the best presents I have ever received have been those that were made for me. Since I'm not very crafty, scrapbooking always seemed like an ideal craft for me and a gift that I could make and give that would have special significance to both me and the receiver.
For years I have been wanting to put all the pictures I have of my children in a scrapbook so that they will have something special to look back on as they get older.
The one attempt I made at starting a book ended up with me covered in pictures and sticky tabs. It took weeks to get a few pages done and cost me a small fortune on all the supplies. I ended up giving my husband a half finished book with the promise and good intentions of eventually finishing it. That was seven years ago and I can't even remember where I put it.
So, I was pretty intrigued when My Memories contacted me about their "My Memories Suite v3" digital scrapbooking software. The offer of trying out a copy and reviewing it for my readers interested me quite a bit. As did the idea of getting to give away a copy to one lucky reader.
I must confess I was a little scared. My computer skills are not much beyond turning the darn thing on.
As it turned out I really had nothing to fear. The program is really user friendly. I had all the fun of playing with all the pretty embellishments I have always loved to look at without the fear of ruining them by putting it in the wrong place. If I didn't like how something looked all I needed to do was click and erase.
I used one of the existing templates for the pages I used here, but you can completely create you own as well. Even with the templates you can customize the pages. I moved pieces, got rid of things I didn't like and added things that I thought worked better. You can even add music and videos to your projects. I had a lot of fun with it.
I'm thrilled that along with the copy My Memories gave me to review they also gave me a copy to give away to one of my great readers. I can only imagine what someone with even an inch more talent than I have could create with it.
If you would like a chance to win My Memories Suite v3 digital scrapbooking software all you need to do is visit their website at http://www.mymemories.com/ and then come back and let me know what digital paper pack you liked the best.The My Memories website has gorgeous digital paper packs available at very reasonable prices as well as offering some for free download.
I will close the giveaway next Saturday December 10 and will announce the winner on Sunday, December 11.
My memories has also given me a coupon code so if you don't win you can still try My Memories Suite v3 out for a 10% discount. Just use the code STMMMS24422. I will also keep this badge on my sidebar so you can use it anytime you visit the dishwasher and I.
Thank you for helping me have fun celebrating the birth of my first baby!
