Growing Up and Celebrating the Multitude of "Firsts" in this First Year

It is incredible how quickly this year of Claire’s has flown by, and how many milestones she’s already bulldozed past. So many of those “firsts” are still so fresh to me. Her first bath, the first time I found her rolled over in her crib. The first time she laughed (while watching me brush my teeth when I spit into the sink, no less). The first time she had solid food. Taking her to to the swings at the playground for the first time. Her first airplane ride, her first trip to church, her first tooth.

The list of her “firsts” continues to grow longer and longer; right now we are on the verge between being able to stand up on her own and take a real first step. (In this photo, she's letting go of the cabinets, standing on her own, and then going back to the ground to finish crawling over to me. Does that count as a step?)

As each "first" passes, it is proof that she is growing by leaps and bounds before my very eyes. It is a humbling realization, to be able to look back and see how far we’ve come. And then to realize we have so much ahead of us, so many exciting changes that I really am excited about! I cannot wait to hear her talk, to know what she’s thinking and dreaming about and interested in. I cannot wait to snuggle with her on the couch and watch a good PBS movie with her or sit around the dining room table and make crafts.

There is so much to look forward to in this process of watching her bloom and come into her own. I think that’s what makes each of these “firsts” of hers so exciting: They are the next steps in that lifelong process. And so, I endeavor to savor each one. To not gloss over it in favor of looking to the future, nor yearn for those that have come and gone. But to try to appreciate each one, to appreciate this current stage of life and the beauty inherent in it.

To help me do that, Pampers Swaddlers sent along a package full of products designed to celebrate some of these "firsts" in a baby's life: a walking toy that helps (and entertains) Claire as she learns to wobble along on her own, little trinket boxes for memorializing a lock of hair from her first hair cut and losing her first tooth, a book to record her first words, some of which you can see in the photo below:



That's because right now, Pampers Swaddlers is celebrating a first of their own: the Swaddler diaper is now available in sizes 4 & 5. In celebration, Pampers is hosting 30 days of giveaways, with a grand prize of free Swaddler diapers and wipes for a year. Enter for daily prizes on the Pampers Facebook page here. They are also hosting a #SwaddlersFirsts Twitter Party on Thursday, December 5th at 9pm EST, where you can win great prizes (including those outlined below), so RSVP and join in here, as well. Keep up to date with Pampers by following them on Twitter and Facebook.

Plus, they are also offering one Life Blessons reader the chance to win their own prize pack like the one I received for Claire, which includes:
• Baby’s First Friend Plush Doll
• Baby’s First Tooth and First Curl Treasure Box
• Baby’s First Words Book
• Baby’s First Steps Push Toy
• Pampers Swaddlers diapers

To enter, please leave a comment below by Tuesday, Dec. 10, along with a way to contact you, if it isn’t visible in your profile. This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.