Romantic, Anniversary Celebrations... "Table for three, please!"

So this past week was our first anniversary celebrated with baby. Who knew that the traditional gift for five years of wedded bliss was a little baby girl? G and I are both actually very happy with this gift as long as we don't get a new one every five years.

So for the first time ever, I did not so much as get G a card. I feel quite badly about this, but I could not find the time. We are not big gift-givers in our little family, but I usually like to make him something or get him something small yet meaningful. He actually bought me flowers and wrote me the sweetest card I have ever received in my life. I get sentimental just thinking about it, and how our entry into parenthood has shaped our marriage in new ways. I recently read a quote by writer-director, Nora Ephron that struck me as being fairly accurate. She said, "When you have a baby, you set off an explosion in your marriage, and when the dust settles, your marriage is different from what it was. Not better, necessarily; not worse, necessarily; but different." Having a baby did change our marriage, and things seem reorganized, though I must say that I believe it is better overall. At times, we bicker more, which I regret. This was especially true in the super-sleep deprived, early days. However, we also seem to work as a team better than ever before, and I feel that G is my equal partner in raising our child. More than anything, I enjoy seeing this whole new, sweet and wonderful side of him emerging in his relationship with our daughter. So even though we rarely have time alone, have an extra guest at the table for anniversary dates, bicker more, and honor special occasions less, I wouldn't change a thing! And I'm pretty sure he feels the same.