turn around and have some PB and milk

It's a big day here in the world of estrogen shortages.

Car seats are flipping forward and we have peanut butter sandwiches and whole milk flowing like manna.

Our baby is one year old today!

I have very fond memories of Squirt's birth - it was definitely the best of the four (I guess practice makes perfect!), not because it was amazingly short or pain free (it WASN'T), but he was the first one that I had the presence of mind to reach down and pull my precious boy out of my womb and into my arms. My awesome doula Claire caught the moment so perfectly.

With a little cropping, it was appropriate to share with you!

Those hands under his armpits are mine. His lower half was still inside my body and with the help of Kenyon and my amazing certified nurse midwife Tina, I was the one who pulled him up and out and announce to the world that we had a fourth son!

Kenyon said that I stole his thunder by doing his favorite part for him.

What an amazing woman I am - doing the pushing and the catching. I tell ya, multi-talented!

He wasn't too upset though. As you can see a smile immediately took over the lower half of his face and camped out there until he passed out from the exhaustion of a middle of the night birth.

In addition to my husband, midwife and doula I was blessed to have several other special people in the room.

They asked if we needed bleachers or whether we'd be more comfortable in the hospital auditorium.

My mom flew in from Chicago for nine days to take care of three wild boys whilst I waddled and we all waited. This was the second Sweeney boy that she has witnessed exiting my womb and entering the world.

My three friends Ashley, Erin and Jenny arrived just in time to watch me go through transition and push him out. Ashley and Erin were there for Rufus' birth and I have been with them as several of their babies have been born (we have to stay friends forever with all the privates we've seen on each other) - I decided that having friends and support is my version of an epidural. Jenny was 10 weeks pregnant with her first baby at the time and I wanted to scare the crap out of her show her what she was in for the joys and noise of natural childbirth (and selfishly, have her hand to hold too).

One year later our Squirt is just sweet as pie. We can't say enough good things about him. His personality is really coming out - he's feisty and funny, loving and generally easy-going. Most importantly, he is a great sleeper.

He is so LOVED by his brothers. They drag him around and kiss and hug on him like crazy and they create spontaneous giggles out of him all the time.

I am so amazed how perfectly God plans families. I never would have imagined that I would be the mother of four boys (or planned it that way), but it is the perfect fit for Kenyon and me and I'm so grateful for the fact that God knows me better than I know myself.

So Happy Birthday to our little Squirt - we love you and are thankful every day for your place in our family!

Messy cake pictures coming soon!!!