Almost a year....

For Christmas I decided that I would compile some of our pictures (mostly of Kyle) from the last year, make them into a video with music (using photostory3), and give them to the grandparents and great grandparents as gifts. Great idea, right? I had no idea!
I worked on it for over an hour last night and then the program froze. Had I saved it? No. Was I irritated? You betcha (hats off to you, Mrs. Palin). I was determined after that not only to get started on it, but to finish it. I got it all put together and most of the music added to it before I went to bed at midnight. This morning I finished it up, saved it as a movie, and watched it for editing purposes. I was... amazed. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined. I was in tears watching it, remembering the last year. Kyle is such a blessing to us, but sometimes when you get caught in the day to day monotony you forget how much things have changed.
Looking at the pictures of him as a newborn moved me beyond words. My God, he was so tiny and so helpless. And so beautiful. I remember what it felt like to be handed this tiny little bundle all the while knowing that he was the most important thing I have done so far in my life. It is a strange thing to know that another person is depending on you entirely. I know that he has his Daddy and all of that, but the moment they handed him to me, he was all mine. I remember thinking that he was the most complete thing I had ever done. Don't get me wrong, I finish things and do projects and what not, but he was amazing. Every finger, every toe, even his little nose. I kept thinking, "I made that!" If anyone can look at a newborn baby and not believe in God (or any higher power depending on religion) I am shocked. A baby is such a miracle, such a divine creation, that they are awe inspiring.
Watching the video put to music was also a very moving part of the experience. The music that I picked seemed to follow the pictures to a T, saying all the right things at the right moments. Since the video is all pictures it was important to me to have the music speak for the pictures, to have them convey a specific emotion. It did all of that and more.
Anyhow, the video is done, tears of remembrance have been shed, and i am in the process of burning them onto DVDs. While I hope that the persons on the receiving end of these gifts will cherish them as we do, I honestly do not care if they look at them once and then throw them away. I am glad that I made it for me. I am glad that I made it for Kyle. I plan on making one every year to commemorate the previous year of his life. That way, when he is all grown up and only comes to see his mom once a year because he is busy, i will have something to watch while I sit on the couch and admire it! He is growing up so fast!