Happy Birthday!

My Sweet Girl,

What a great week we have had celebrating your birth just a year ago! Daddy made sure his days off revolved around our celebrations: Wednesday for your birthday and Saturday for your party. Wednesday was very special for us. Daddy made you toast with jelly and eggs for breakfast, then we saw Dr. Bos for your one year check-up. You had to get shots... mean mommy, I know, but you handled it like a champ. You weighed about 23 pounds and were a little over 29 inches tall; quite a bit different than when you were born! Dr. Bos was so impressed with your vocabulary and ability to communicate; you definitely put on a show, loving all of the attention she was giving you.

Fortunately, we snuck in a morning nap before lunch, then after lunch headed to the Explorium! There were not a whole lot of activities suited for a one year old, but you just loved walking around and, well...exploring! It was no surprise to Daddy and I that you were almost immediately drawn to anything with water or bubbles. Although I'm sure you would enjoy the Explorium more if you were older, we just enjoyed all being together, doing whatever we wanted. Having Daddy for a whole day without tons of stuff to do was such a treat.

After the Explorium, we made it home for a late, but long afternoon nap... actually, you were the only one napping. Daddy and I had some decorating to do! After your nap, we had more celebrating with Caramanda's cupcakes... yum. Later that evening, Grandma, Papa, and Auntie Marg came over to visit.

You will be proud of me: I didn't cry all day. In fact, I was so focused on the celebration of your birthday, that I didn't have a chance to think that one whole year of your life had passed. Honestly, I had done all of my reflection and crying the night before. It was an overwhelming thought that my precious newborn was too quickly becoming a little girl. For months I had recorded every single milestone and now we were preparing to celebrate the biggest one yet. That night, Daddy and I laid in bed reflecting on the past year, remembering our favorite moments and the more difficult times. I remember thinking when you were born, that those sleepless nights would be forever a part of my life, but in hindsight, those first few weeks are just a blink of an eye in time. I don't necessarily miss being tired and frazzled all of the time, but I would do it a hundred times over knowing how much of a blessing you have been in our lives.

Lucky girl, you, the party didn't end on Wednesday! For a couple of months, I had been preparing a big, birthday bash just for you! We invited some of your friends from Gymboree, your grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and a few of mine and Daddy's friends to celebrate with us. Let me tell you, you are one loved little girl. Truly. You friends came, Daddy and my friends' came, not to mention, all of your family!

I know the whole party wasn't a big deal for you since you don't yet understand that everyone was there to celebrate you, but all of it was such a blessing to me. I enjoyed every bit of the planning, decorating, and preparation and I was touched that everyone we invited came out to celebrate YOU. I couldn't have asked for anything better or any day more perfect.

It was a lot of work putting your shindig together and it may seem silly to put in so much work for just a couple of hours, but it was all completely worth it. While planning this party, I realized that I'm not going to be able to do this for you every single year. I want every birthday we are able to celebrate in the US to be incredibly special and memorable; not that you remember this party, but I do and I always will. You are my special, beautiful little girl and I want to remember everything about your life.

We've had a great year! You have been such an easygoing baby: always smiling, always charming somebody (you get that from your Daddy), and always a delight to be around. I still can't believe that a whole year has passed when I so clearly remember the days we spent with you in the hospital before bringing you home. I didn't know then what a blessing you would be in our lives. I had no idea I would love you more than life.

Waverly, you think you are a big girl now that you're an entire year old, but you will always be my baby. Always. You keep us on our toes and we love it. You are amazing.

Daddy and I love you.