One

I have one child. 

And today, she is one year old.

Truly.

 I love her with my whole heart. I am not sure I will ever love anyone else as much as I love her. She only needs to smile at me to get whatever her little heart desires. And her smiles are beyond precious. Each time I catch one on film, I feel a little bit of joy creep into me.

 She is so smart and so curious. She loves to investigate new things, and she learns and discovers so much. She has spent the last year growing and watching and becoming so much more than a baby.

 She can walk all by herself. And she constantly carries things from point a to point b. It is fun and funny. We love to watch her busy at work.

She adores being adored. And when she is surrounded by friends, she simply glows. She chatters non-stop to anyone and everyone we meet. 'Stranger Danger' is a phenomenon she simply cannot comprehend. In her world, there are only friends we haven't met (and stolen toys from) yet...

So Happy Birthday, dear little girl. I love you more every day. The first year of your life has been so wonderful and so hard and so worth it. I am grateful to be your mama. I am grateful that He chose us to be your family. Thank you for being patient with me while I learn how to mother.

I miss the baby that you were but I can't wait to see the little girl you become!