Birthday wishes to my "last" baby.

There’s just something about your last baby.

When you hold him for the first time, something inside you changes. Actually, everything changes. You breathe a sigh of relief because you both are doing well and he’s healthy. You realize it’s the last time you’ll ever experience the miracle of growing and delivering a child into this world but you’re at peace with that chapter ending and new ones to unfold.

When it’s time to go home, you buckle him into the car seat, leaving the hospital with confidence. You know you’ve got this. Even when you’re overwhelmed and unsure, you’ll figure it all out—just as you always have before with his siblings.

This time around you worry less about things like having pinterest perfect birthday parties and staged family photos. You begin to embrace the imperfect beauty of everyday life.

You’re not as concerned in other people’s opinions and more in your own intuition.

There’s something about that last baby.

You slow down to take in even the littlest things, even on the busy days. You take pictures with every opportunity despite if your house in the background is messy. Why? You know just how quickly they’ll change. You’ve seen it happen before.

While you outwardly celebrate the milestones, you also mourn them just a little bit. Those first smiles, first giggles, first crawls, first words, first steps . . . all mark the end of something.

You’re OK with that chocolate covered face sticking around for a little while longer, and when he gestures for a kiss, you take it. You sit in awe watching his expressions and giggles looking at how silly you look now that you have chocolate pudding on you.

You secretly don’t mind the fact that he still doesn’t sleep through the night, because it means you get the opportunity to spend one on one time with him, rocking him back to sleep. Singing the same lullaby’s you’ve sang to your other children.

With your last baby...

You’ll pause a little longer.

And fully understand what it means to be everything to someone.

You won’t love him more than the rest, but perhaps you will appreciate the challenges a baby brings-just a little bit more . Why? Because you know he’s your last and before you know it, you’re celebrating his 11th birthday.