Beckett's first Thanksgiving

Yesterday was Beckett's first Thanksgiving day. By the time he was in bed for the evening, I was feeling the poignancy of the day... Firsts are rather amazing things. They only happen that one time, and the responses that a person has cannot be reproduced. We just have to treasure what we can remember. It is strange to think that for each of us, so many of our firsts are not remembered by us, but by those who love us and watched as we grew.
Beckett won't remember that we spent yesterday with my family (in our alternating Thanksgiving Day tradition with James' family) at the house where I lived from 7 years old on. He won't remember that he was a bit overwhelmed by the hubbub produced by two doting grandparents, four aunts and uncles, two parents, three other cousins, between 2 and 6 dogs (depending on how many were currently shut up in a room), many cooking activities, and the parade on TV. He'll have no memory of how he and his cousin Freddy both showed up in striped collared shirts with pullover sweater vests, looking ready for a photo shoot. He won't recall that he ate homemade chicken and apples baby food alongside his multigrain cereal, and that he too had his own version of pumpkin pie made from some of the fresh pureed pumpkin, cinnamon, and a little ginger. B won't relive playing with his cousins on the floor, or how he loved giving a few baby kisses to his oldest cousin, Jade. He will not be able to think back fondly of how my dad, his grandpa, was eager to hold him and give him "horsey rides" on his knee.
But all these sweet and funny moments will be filed in a little corner of my mind. My favorite part was seeing him sitting for his first meal at my mom and dad's table with my side of his extended family. It is rare enough that he gets to eat with both James and I with his early bedtime, so this was an exciting opportunity. He sat between James and I, and we both fed him his food. He was too excited for more than a five minute nap while we were there, and by the end of the day he was tired and needing to stay close to me to be calm. But he was sweet and curious and enjoying our family. And me... these days, with my sweet husband and my darling baby, I felt like the most blessed woman in the world.