A couple who recently welcomed their first child were determined to enjoy every moment with their newborn and can now give themselves the “greatest gift” for his first birthday.
Katie, 27, and her husband Andrew, 29, live in California with their young son, who recently celebrated his first birthday.
Many parents will tell you how important the first year of your child’s life is and how quickly it all goes by – and Katie and Andrew have marked every month of their son’s first year in a special way.
Katie told Newsweek: “We are new parents to our sweet boy and have quickly realized how precious this time is. I have found that recording and creating home videos that we can remember forever is the only thing we really have to capture this precious time one day.”
To capture these memories as best as possible, the couple created a video montage with clips of the couple blowing out a candle together with their son each month.
TikTok @katiemcginty22
The viral clip, shared on her TikTok account @katiemcginty22 on August 16, begins with Katie and Andrew holding their newborn son and blowing out a candle on a cupcake with the number one on it: one month old.
This continues until he is two months old, then at three months, until his first birthday. The baby grows up, starts smiling and interacting with everything around him, and his parents watch proudly.
It ends with the little boy having an entire cake to himself on his first birthday and sitting next to a special balloon while his parents blow out his candles.
Katie captioned the clip: “When the silly little videos end up being the greatest gift to yourself on her first birthday (sic).”
And she added in a caption: “Thanking my postpartum self for sticking with it.”
Child and family social worker Katie, currently a housewife, told Newsweek They decided to document their son’s first year in this way because they “quickly realized how precious this time is, because the moments seem fleeting.”
“I look at old pictures and videos of him all the time, even when he’s just sleeping, and it gives us so much comfort and joy to be able to remember every little thing and every tiny moment forever and share them with friends and family,” she said.
And TikTok users were deeply moved; the montage received over 122,000 likes and 1.3 million views. One commented: “It’s really amazing how much they change in a month.”
“The change between 5 and 6 months,” said another. “My heart.”
One admitted to being in tears and wrote: “Who’s crying? Erm, not me…”
And Katie and Andrew aren’t the only parents documenting their son’s first year in this way. One commenter said: “We did this for my baby and next week he turns one and I’m not ready.”
TikTok @katiemcginty22
During the first year, a baby reaches developmental milestones at an incredible pace, from motor skills to language development to social skills.
By one month of age, newborns are generally able to raise their hands to their face and move their heads, and by three months they may be able to smile and follow objects with their eyes, according to a statement from the Cleveland Clinic.
In a few months, they can sit or even walk on their own, speak their first words and imitate gestures. Parents should not worry if their child takes longer to reach a milestone, as this can be different for each child. However, if parents are concerned, they should contact their child’s doctor.
Katie told Newsweek: “The most beautiful thing about my role as a father for me is that I find beauty in every little detail and every thing he does as I capture and create memories with him.”
And the proud mother added: “Being a mom is the best.”
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