One year old.
Three hundred sixty five memorable and incredible days.
Fifty five hours of labor. Fifteen stitches. Three bouts of mastitis. All forgotten with just one of your smiles.
One totally awesome first birthday party.
Fifteen adults, seven babies, twenty balloons, three cakes.
One totally incredible little boy – a lover of dancing, music, finding sticks, eating leaves, and goofing around with mom and dad as much as possible.
One full year of breastfeeding. Approximately thirty bottles taken over the course of an entire year. My longest stretch away from you in 365 days? Six hours.
Twenty one pounds and six ounces. Thirty inches tall. Ninety eighth percentile for your giant head. Sorry kid, it runs in the family.
One or two naps each day – depending on the mood. Usually one to two hours each, on a good day.
One wakeup each night, usually around four am. 365 times I have wondered if tomorrow you will sleep through the night.
Infinite number of kisses covering your chubby cheeks.
Two baby shoes eaten by your favorite yellow dog last week in just ten minutes. Too many curse word’s out of mom’s mouth when she found them.
Thousands and thousands of photos of you, clogging up the hard drive on mom’s laptop. Approaching zero memory left to spare.
Three miles maximum in your stroller, seven in a hiking backpack!
Eight baby teeth that love to chomp on pears, blueberries, avocado, and raspberries.
Six flights across the country – Indiana, Hawaii, Ohio, Atlanta, Ohio (again), and Washington, DC!
Two incredibly proud and grateful parents. Two drooly dogs that love sitting under your high chair. Countless conversations about how we can’t remember life without you. Many parenting clichés we have become.
One happy, healthy, and hilarious little boy. Endless laughs all day long.
One year that I can’t possibly do justice through words. I can’t wait to see what follows!
134 Comments so far
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Beautifully written Emily!
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I can’t believe it’s been a year! Happy Birthday Cullen, and congrats to you Emily as well!
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What a great post! Beautiful pictures of your very happy baby boy. Sparse but incredibly thoughtful narrative. Loved it! Congrats to you, Casey, and Cullen!
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He’s gorgeous, happy, healthy. You are lucky parents, and he’s a lucky little boy to have you. Excited to watch the next year. :)
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Beautiful post depicting Cullen’s first year. *love*
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What a beautiful tribute to your son’s first year of life. Totally brought tears to my eyes.
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I like the way you wrote the post, Emily :)
Cullen is one lucky, happy lil’ man — an adorable one year old indeed.
It’s been so fun to watch him and your family grow. It is hard to image Daily Garnish without his smile and presence on the blog.
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Oh my goodness, you are an amazing writer! Congrats to the whole family! What a touching post!!
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I hope you know what a talented writer you are. Thanks for letting your readers share your experiences throughout Cullen’s first year. Love your blog :)
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It’s a beautiful post! Congratulations on such a happy and healthy family :)
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Happy birthday Cullen!! Cute post. And where did you get that adorable ‘one’ shirt??
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Beautiful post to honor your son. Love your words. And love the cake!
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Such a lovely post, Emily! Happy Birthday to Cullen. It has been fun seeing him grow throughout this year! Here’s to many more memories!
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It seems like just last week that I was reading your pregnancy updates, and now Cullen is one!
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Gorgeous post that almost brought me to tears! I’ve loved every minute of your photo and story sharing, such a cute child and a fantastic approach to mother and father hood you both have, inspiring!
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Beautiful post, Emily! So hard to believe he’s a year old already – seems like just yesterday we were reading the birth story on here :)
Cullen looks super adorable in his ‘one’ t-shirt!
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Happy Birthday Cullen! Is it not 366 days this year due to leap year?
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Julie (A Case of the Runs) Reply:
October 23rd, 2012 at 2:20 pm
I thought the same thing!
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I love how you formatted this post. I cannot believe he is one year! It has been SO fun following along your journey of pre-Cullen, pregnancy, and now life with Cullen. :)
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What a beautiful and creative way to celebrate Cullen’s first year! You should totally have this printed into a board book for him to enjoy over and over again!
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One of my favorite authors always says you can count your firsts, but it so hard to count your lasts because they happen and you never know. What a beautiful count. Happy Birthday Cullen! One day you will know what a famous rockstar you were even before you were born!!!!
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Happy Birthday Cullen.
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Beautiful post! Happy birthday to Cullen!
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Happy Birthday Cullen! Looks like he had a wonderful first birthday celebration!
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I’m sobbing over here reading this! Happy Birthday Cullen!! Congrats on such a beautiful family!!
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I cannot believe that Cullen is one year old already. He just gets cuter and cuter! :)
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And countless precious memories still to make!
Happy Birthday, Cullen! :)
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happy one year little guy! he’s so adorable and I can’t believe that he’s already one! This is the sweetest post…although I’m not sure if I’d ever forget that many stitches or bouts of mastitis.
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I can’t believe he is one!!!! I still remember that video you posted during your last week of pregnancy when he was moving all around in your stomach. :) Glad he had a wonderful birthday!!
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Happy birthday Cullen! Crazy how time flies. My little girl (she was 1 in Sept) also has a huge head- 99th percentile! We even took her to a specialist and he measured my head and my mom’s head and confirmed that big heads just run in our family :)
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WOW – time really does fly when you’re having fun, huh?! I cannot believe it has been a year since I read your going-into-labor post…WOW. Cullen is perhaps the most adorable little boy I have ever seen (My husband and I don’t have children YET, so I can say that, hahaha!). May the year to come be ever more fun, and more filled with laughter than this one. Blessings~
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Love your writing, Emily. Love this post :)
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Happy birthday Cullen!! I still remember checking Twitter the moment I woke up to see if there was baby news… I can’t believe it’s been one year! Like you (and so many of your readers), I can’t wait to see what comes next for your beautiful family!
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Congratulations! His cakes are so fun!
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He is so adorable – makes my heart melt!
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Wonderful post!! : ) Happy Birthday to Cullen and to mom and dad for making it through the first year!
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Beautiful post!!! Happy birthday to Cullen and congrats to you on one very wonderful year of loving,nursing and mothering! Its quite an accomplishment!
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Loved the post! I see that Cullen is still waking up once in the middle of the night…our 1 year old, Addison is doing the same thing and I just wondered if you have any plans or ideas on how to drop this habit!? I feel so bad letting her cry it out, especially Sunday-Thursday because we have to look somewhat presentable at work the next day, but I don’t know what else to do! Do you nurse him at this wake up time or does he just play and eventually go back to bed? Addy gets a bottle then heads back to bed, but sometimes plays and laughs for awhile…better then crying I guess!
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Happiest birthday Cullen!! Always full of joy and smiles!
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Happy birthday Cullen!!! Those cakes are too cute–such a great idea!I hope you post the recipe :)
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He is so cute! This will be such a fun post to look back to over the years…
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Happy Birthday to Cullen! What a sweet post. It has been wonderful to watch him grow up over the past year!
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Could he be ANY cuter. I love the idea of him reading this when he is like 25 years old :) Congratulations for making it through the first year!!
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happy birthday, Cullen! Great post, Emily.
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Happy Birthday Cullen! Cullen and my daughter share a birthday… so many emotions for that day. So well written, it brought tears to my eyes but I might just be slightly emotional about the 1 year milestone. Doesn’t it just seem like yesterday that the tiny baby was placed on your chest? Even though I’m a bit sentimental I am looking forward to all the things the second year brings.
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Don’t forget this was a leap year, so that’s ONE bonus day in Cullen’s first year for you to enjoy! And yes, I said “ONE bonus day” in my head with a Count voice and an ah-ah-ah while I was typing this.
Happy First Birthday, Cullen!
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I love this!! Nitsah turned one yesterday, and this made me sniffly. They have so many random things in common, such as the genetically giant head. :) Sorry to the grandchildren after Cullen and Nitsah get married some day (what, you didn’t know that was the plan?)
Happy birthday Cullen!! Sorry about the baby shoes… I noticed that his shoes were different in the first pic and was all prepared to take this as justification for buying more than one pair of good-quality shoes. :)
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I teared up! He’s so adorably perfect — and his smile is super infectious, even through the computer screen :) Happy birthday Cullen! Congrats on making it through year 1 :)
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Love. He is so beautiful! Hard for this pregnant woman not to start crying while reading this post at her desk at work. :-)
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Super sweet post! *tearingup*
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Happy Birthday, Cullen! Love the bday cakes! Cullen, you hit the family jackpot :-)
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Happy Birthday, Cullen! He’s been so fun to watch grow.
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Agh! I love this. Happy Birthday Cullen! I can’t believe it’s been a year since your adorable little boy was born. It’s gone by quickly…
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I still remember just yesterday reading your pregnancy posts. This is all too weird. Our lives are going too fast!
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I agree. You are a wonderful writer. If you decide to write a book later in life, I will buy!
Happy One Year Cullen!
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What an adorable post! Your little guy is so cute – I love his little pop belly. Happy Birthday Cullen!
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This is so sweet. A very touching post. Happy birthday Cullen!!! :)
In Filipino culture we serve a noodle dish called Pansit on birthdays to wish them a long life. Simply don’t add chicken and it’s vegan. Once Cullen can eat a noodle w/ vegetable dish I recommend you try it out! It’s delicious!
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Happy Birthday to one of the cutest babies in the world! And congratulations to one of the greatest Moms in the world – for making it through the first year parenting with flying colors. :)
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loved this update! it made me laugh and slightly tear up (still uber emotional post baby). can’t wait to see what else Cullen is up to in year 2. makes me really excited to see what Mason *my almost 7 mo old* will get into!
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Happy birthday, Cullen! Emily, I have followed your blog all year thru babble and with an 11 month old (exactly a month younger) I have looked to you for wisdom and experience and you have not let me down! It has been such a wonderful year- with it’s highs and los but you have made it through and it has been worth every second! Great job to you too!
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Happy Birthday Cullen! You’re such a cutie :).
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This is such a sweet update. Cullen is so adorable and his personality just shines through every picture you’ve posted! Happy Birthday!
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Happy 1st Birthday to the adorable Cullen! This was a really lovely post and something you should print and put in a keepsake box for him.
I’m curious, did your family come out for his Bday? We are going to be with some of our family over Xmas (Bean’s bday is Dec 28th) but know half of the fam won’t be there. It’s really weighing on me too…
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Beautifully written. Happy birthday Cullen!
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I can’t believe it’s been a year! I remember reading about his birth and seeing the first few weeks right when my husband and I were deciding to start TTC ourselves. Now our adorable baby boy is a year old?! And we have one of our own, 2 months and counting :) I loved this post! SO sweet. I think though that you actually had 366 days this year since it was a leap year :)
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He is just precious. I love reading your blog and this post was darling. I hope you have a great 2nd year! :)
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You have such a great way with words that brought tears to my eyes. He is a beautiful boy and speaking from the mom of a 19 months old boy it just gets better
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Loved this post. Happy Birthday Cullen! Such a beautiful family!
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Happy birthday Cullen!!!! I have been a long time reader and it’s shocking to watch how fast time goes by! I remember you annoucing your pregnancy like it was yesterday, and now Cullen is already 1! Crazy!
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This is such a beautifully written birthday post for Cullen! It’s been so much fun to watch him grow up over this past year – thank you for sharing your life with your readers!! :-)
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O.M.G. I cannot beleive he is 1 yr old already! It’s crazy how time flies. It’s even more crazy that I’ve been reading your blog for well over 2 years! Holy interwebness (totally a word).
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What a beautiful post, beautiful family, beautiful little boy! Happy birthday Cullen!
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Happy 1st Birthday Cullen! Can’t believe its been a year. Love the posts from this past year.
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I LOVE this post, EVERY single word of it. I can literally feel the love you have for Cullen. It is the exact same love I have for my son. And I completely understand when you say you can’t remember what life was like before him, and I can’t say I wish I could either. Because your post just proves that babies make life worth living. Happy Birthday, Cullen!
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I love this post. Adorable!
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Happy Birthday!!!
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This is incredibly lovely. That sweet little boy has so much love in his family!
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Adorable post! Happy 1st birthday, Cullen!!
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I just recently started reading you blog and this post was just beautiful!! Had me teary eyed!! You have a handsome little man!
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Happy first birthday Cullen! And Emily, you have done an amazing job. I have truly enjoyed the past year of Cullen posts. Thank you for sharing your beautiful boy with all of us.
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Happy birthday to your sweet, sweet boy! Good job, mama.
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Happy Birthday To Your Blessing, Cullen. This has to be my most favorite post from you to date. Simply made with love…. Dina
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Happy Birthday Cullen! It’s been a joy to follow your transformation in Mom’s belly to dancing and smiling, walking, dancing little boy! I can’t wait to see where you grow up from here, and who joins you along the way! ;-)
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Such an incredible and beautifully-written post. Your love for your family shines in every sentence and photo. May life get better for you with every year!
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Happy Birthday Cullen! That was one fast year. Keep the smiles coming.:)
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Love it! He is such a handsome little man!
Did you cry? I find myself so weepy when our little one turned 1 in August. They grow up so fast!
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Sara Reply:
October 23rd, 2012 at 11:28 am
Err, found myself so weepy. Ha. Where’s the edit button on this thing. :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
October 23rd, 2012 at 11:42 am
Yes, LOTS of crying. I was actually glad we ended up doing his party the day before. It gave me a chance to be happy and in party-mode, and then more sentimental and teary the next day. So special!
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Sara Reply:
October 24th, 2012 at 9:56 am
I hear you! We did Tyler’s party early as well and it definitely helped. On her actual birthday we gave her some cake then when I took her into the bathroom to get all washed up I just cried the whole time I was giving her a bath! HA! My husband thought I was nuts. :)
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Beautiful! Hilarious! Sweet! I can’t wait to meet Cullen. He’ll be so BIG by then! Have you nailed down your travel dates?
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Emily Malone Reply:
October 23rd, 2012 at 11:42 am
Of course not! Procrastinating as always, but we’ll be there. :)
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Happy birthday Cullen! I’ve been following along since you were pregnant and I can’t believe all this time has sped by. My little girl was born on the 31st, so it’s been so fun to watch Cullen and then see my Alma. They’re basically the same size – head included!
He’s a beautiful boy!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY CULLEN! such a cute blog post Emily!
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Happy birthday Cullen! Such a cute baby!
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Happy Birthday Cullen! Happy parenthood to the two of you. It’s the best job you could have (well I think grandparenting is better :) I thank you for sharing him with me as my littlest grand is now 8. Each thing and each year is special, embrace it all for someday he’ll roll his eyes, think he’s to big for something. I still love the hugs my “little” boy gives me and he’s 44!
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Happy birthday sweet Cullen!! Your mom must love you a LOT to write such a sweet post. <3
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This is too, too precious. A beautiful post for a beautiful, growing baby boy! (And a well traveled baby boy! Holy cow! Your son’s been on more trips this year than I think I’ve been on in the past five!)
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oh my- this made me really sentimental! Get ideas of things to make note of for my Georgiana :)
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YAY!!! Happy Birthday, Cullen!
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A year already? Crazy. Happy Birthday little guy.
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Beautiful post, the love you have for that little guy jumps off the page! Thank you for sharing this event.
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I just adore this! You will be SOOO grateful for these posts of Cullen when he is grown up! He probably will be too!
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Happy birthday sweet boy!!
Amazing isn’t it? This is actually the first birthday I didn’t cry LOL. I know I’ve commented several times in the last few weeks, but I thought about you and sweet Cullen several times Sunday as I was hosting my FOUR year olds birthday party at the same time (well, maybe not the exact same time, but you know what I mean! LOL). It goes by faster than I ever could have imagined it, and I *promise* you that every birthday gets better!! I’m glad we did her party on Saturday as well – we had a family day on Sunday, just the three of us :). Every year is my favorite, and I can’t wait to see what she will learn and how her personality develops, but at the same time, I want to capture each stage forever. I just want to scream ‘slow down!!’ But alas, I cannot, so I just enjoy her each and every day!
Oh, and what did you end up doing for his cake(s)??
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Melissa Reply:
October 23rd, 2012 at 2:06 pm
*doh* our party was Saturday, not Sunday.
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What a beautiful post! Can’t believe he’s already one!!
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LOVE this post! Just awesome! Wondering how many cakes you’ll make for his 3rd b-day? :P
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Happiest birthday kiddo!
My little one will be joining you in the one year old club in 3 weeks!
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Awww he’s so big! A year of breastfeeding too, now think how many nursing sessions that is?!? Yikes! Great job lady!
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I am due today and bawling my eyes out. Sweetest post ever. You should totally give this to him on his graduation / wedding day.
Thanks Emily, I am going to go eat my feelings now.
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The simplicity of your post was so powerful- made me SO excited to have a baby one day! Happy Birthday to Cullen – heres to many many more healthy years ! thank you for sharing this beautiful post!
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What a beautiful post! The first birthday was always so emotional for me. I love the pictures! Cute cake! Happy birthday Cullen!
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Emily I am melting inside. It has been such a joy to watch Cullen grow this past year – thank you for sharing it all. Your life with Cullen makes me so excited to one day have a child of my own. Thank you for that. And Happy Birthday Cullen! (Baby C)
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I absolutely love this post. Happy b-day, Cullen. Onto year #2! <3
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Happy Birthday, sweet Cullen!
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What a heartfelt and creative post! Happy birthday to the new toddler! :)
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I smiled when I read the title, all the way through the post, and I’m still smiling. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect little family.
Happy Birthday to Cullen and Happy Family Anniversary to you and Casey! :)
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Happy Birthday Cullen! I love the photos, this post definitely made me tear up. Congrats to you and Casey for making it through the first of many years of parenthood!
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Happy birthday little man!
He is growing up so fast!
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Love.
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oh, but there is ONE thing you were wrong about … you absolutely did it justice through words. what an amazing, sweet post. i’ve loved sharing your first year with sweet cullen!
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This is absolutely adorable! I love Cullen’s cake matching his shirt too! Great job mama!
Holly
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Where did you get that adorable “one” shirt! We have a first birthday right around the corner and I want one for my little guy. Happy birthday, Cullen!
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Great post, Emily! Happy Birthday, Cullen!!
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Beautiful post Emily! I remember waiting to read the post that you had delivered your baby boy one year ago!
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Happy Birthday Cullen! Great post, Emily. Isn’t it amazing how so much can happen in one year? And it only gets better!
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This post brought tears to my eyes! Happy First Birthday, Cullen! Great job, Mom & Dad for making it through the first year!
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What a lovely recap of a wonderful year for your family…our little Kheri turned 1 last month and I couldn’t believe how fast that year went, but it is also so fun to see how much she takes in and learns each day!
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How sweet! Happy Birthday to Cullen!
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What a sweet post! My daughter started sleeping through the night right around her first birthday. Hoping this will be the night for you :)
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What a beautiful tribute! I’ve had a wonderful time reading your blog and “getting to know” your family over the last year. Though I haven’t tried any recipes just yet, I may have to give the pumpkin spice bday cake a try when you post the recipe. Happy Birthday Cullen!
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This is the sweetest post! Love it. Happy (belated) 1st Birthday to Cullen!
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What a beautiful post! Happy birthday Cullen (all the way from Australia).
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Awwww, love it! Cullen is the cutest baby in the whole world (you can tell I have no children, right?, or I’d never say that!) and the most loved, clearly.
And you, lady, need to use a portable external hard drive. :) BACK UP THOSE PHOTOS!
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Oops, almost forgot, a belated very Happy Birthday to the little mister. ;)
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