Henry turned one in February and, since we just moved back to Minnesota, he got to spend it with four out of his six grandparents. We had a little birthday bash, which of course called for some decorations.
I used red and light blue fabrics from my stash. I also happened to have some green gingham bias tape that I got on super sale a couple years ago. I remember thinking I HAD to have it because it was so cute and so cheap and how could anyone pass up a good green gingham bias tape? Then it sat in my stash for two years.
But then the perfect project came along and it was put to good use. Vindication!
So, when I finished sewing this bunting, I ended up having the emotional "baby's first birthday" moment that I had suspected was lurking.
When Henry was born we had to leave him at the hospital after three days. Any NICU parent will tell you that leaving your baby at the hospital is actually impossible. It makes you crazy with grief so you need to develop some sort of insanely huge distraction. We came home and started a blog to keep friends and family up to date and, in need of something - anything -to do I designed a little banner for it that resembled this bunting a lot. I remember sitting on our couch, a new mom without my baby, bound and determination to crack the code of adobe illustrator in order to create a cute banner for Henry's blog. Of course, right?
This is what I came up with.
I hadn't intended at all for his birthday bunting to resemble it so, when I finished and stepped back to look at it, all the memories of his birth came rushing back to me. A sneak attack of big emotions. Which is bound to happen to every mom on her son's first birthday, I suppose.
Love you little man. Happy birthday.
