Baby Steps The big No. 1

As I sit down to write my column today, all of the funny stories and cute anecdotes have just flown out the window. The story of Cooper's first ice cream experience, surviving the long trip to Kansas City, Cooper chasing the dogs around the house in his Halloween costume -- none of it seem important or good enough for this column. I guess you could say that a sort of melancholy has washed over me. The reason, you may ask? My adorable, handsome, rotten baby is no longer a baby. He is officially 1 year old as of Oct. 16, and instead of rejoicing, I just want to cry!

We are planning a big party with a monster rock star theme, with lots of guitar decorations, a pinata, the works. Cooper will be in his element, with tons of wrapping paper to rip apart and more food to eat than a Third World country gets in a year -- not to mention a cake made in the shape of a guitar just for him. But I can't help but wonder, where has this year gone?

If you had told me (and I am sure that people did and I just didn't listen) that my child's first year would go by so quickly, I would have figured out a form of time travel, or at least paused some of the amazing parts of his first year to make it last a little longer. I remember every little detail of this past year of his life. I know that I could have done some things differently, like letting him cry himself to sleep so that I would have a 1-year-old who sleeps through the night instead of getting up at least twice. And I know there are things that I would never change, like having "Dadda" be his first word -- even though we have yet to say "Mama" -- because it brings my husband great joy to hear that big voice yell out "Dadda" every day when he gets home.

Cooper has brought so much joy to our family that I can't imagine our life without him, even if he was our little surprise. I still look at him every day and think, "Wow, he is a part of me!" It's amazing to think that he was just a tiny little thing a year ago and now he is running around the house, getting into absolutely everything and dragging us along after him.

No one can prepare you for motherhood. You learn as you go. Everyone is different, and every experience is different. I parent one way and I'm sure others do it differently than me, but one thing is for sure: The love that you have for your children never stops growing. The love I have for mine expands exponentially every day, and even though I am a little sad that the baby years are behind us and the toddler years are upon us, I am more than excited to see what the next year has in store for us, and I hope that you are, too! If you thought that he was entertaining as a baby, just wait for those "terrible 2's." I'm sure he will keep me on my toes.

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Kristen Pind, a native of small-town Gower, Mo., came to Southeast Missouri State University with big dreams of being the next Katie Couric or Diane Sawyer. She never thought that at age 25, she'd be married with a baby and living in Cape Girardeau. Keep up with Kristen's adventures as a first-time mom -- one who's still a girl trying to figure out how her own life fits together. Turns out, she's living a dream she never knew she had, and loving every minute of it.