It’s hard to believe that Eli is already a year old. Around this time last year, I (Katy) was so huge and uncomfortable. I was ready for the baby to come out before I punched somebody in the throat! He was born a few days before his due date and was perfect in every way.

He’s had his challenges over the past year. He just now started sleeping through the night. I have so much sympathy for people going through the same thing with their kids. Sleep deprivation is no joke and it has wreaked havoc on our bodies and minds. Eden was the easiest kid in the world to sleep train. At 5 months, he slept through the night on his own. At 6 months, I could put him in bed awake and he’d fall asleep on his own.

Eli has been a different story altogether. It really does go to show that sometimes everyone can do everything by the book to sleep train a kid, but that has nothing to do with the outcome. The baby will do what the baby will do. And Eli did his level best to keep us up all night. Finally, though, one night, he decided to sleep until morning.

We just had his birthday party and had a bunch of close friends over to celebrate his sweet little self. He laughed, played, and double-fisted his first helping of cake. We are so grateful to have friends around us who have been a part of his life. They have babysat him, cuddled him at church, and understood if I looked like a walking zombie this past year. Thanks, you guys, for loving us and our children. We are honored and blessed to have friends who are like family.