Baby No More

 

Oh my goodness. My dear, sweet, precious, amazing little girl turns one today.

I swore I wouldn’t be one of those moms who says “I can’t believe how time flies” or “I can’t believe how much she’s grown up already” or any other of those cliché statements you can think of, but, well, here I am.  I really can’t believe how quickly this last year has passed and how much that itty bitty baby has actually grown in to a giggling, waddling, inspiring little chatterbox!

The curled up limbs, giant yawns and tiny grunts.  The first grin.  The outrageous giggles that little body can produce.  The squeals when daddy surprises her from around the corner, the cuddles when she’s sick, the way she melts into your arms when she falls asleep on you.  Her scream when she would pull on her hair without realizing it as a newborn. Her amazing ability to engage kids, adults, and those teenage boys on the train arguing amongst themselves about which one she’s cooing at.  Her need for independence, and the joy she gets out of testing the boundaries.  Her serious silliness. The pleasure she gets out of blades of grass, the plastic caps on food pouches, and snuggling with her stuffed animals.  The way she closes her eyes and still stares into the sun with such a look of contentment and peace. Her easy-going spirit. Her determination.

This little girl has taught us more than you can imagine about love, life, and what it means to be a family.  She has put up with our imperfections, shortcomings, and mistakes as we’ve grown into our role as mom and dad and so perfectly shown us her wants and needs without uttering a word.  She has blown the stereotype of “slowing us down” out of the water by not only joining but enhancing every activity and adventure we have done together.  She has already survived 5 countries and 27 flights, and more than the occasional tired plea for a nap in the crib rather than the buggy, I recall the look of awe when she tasted sand for the first time and the look of pure joy when exploring new places from the comfort and safety of dad’s arms.

She is everything we could have hoped for and so much more.  Words do not begin to describe how blessed and honored we are to have this little spirit in our lives!  Happy Birthday, Baby E!