Dear Birthday Girl,
How is that you are one years old? I feel like just yesterday I was sleeping restlessly and feeling you kick in my belly. Your daddy and I were waiting patiently for you to arrive. We wondered whose eyes you would have and what your personality would be like.
The first time I got to hold you my heart stopped. Getting to meet you for the first time was so magical. You were so tiny and had the littlest nose and hands. You were so cuddly and wanted to sleep and when you would cry, it was this soft sweet squeak, not quite yet a wailing cry yet. You like to have your hands close to your face and we would quickly learn this is where you liked to have them all the time.
I can so vividly remember getting wheeled back to our hospital room and feeling like you felt so perfect in my arms. It was just the three of us together, you, daddy and me. It was the first few days that we learned about each other as a family.
Daddy and I worried over everything little thing, if we were changing your diaper the right way, were you too cold, were you too hot, were we holding you right? We had so much to learn about you and were so ready to. We might have got it wrong a few times and made mistakes, we were learning each day and we got better and more confident in how to keep you safe and take care of you.
We’ve been through so many things together in your first year of life. I have held you close while you cried and made sure you knew I was there for you. I stayed up all hours of the night feeding you and rocking you to sleep. I have laughed with you while we played peek-a-boo and read to you a bed story every night. I stayed close by, in case you were scared and let you explored the world around you. I have watched you go from a little tiny newborn baby to a crawling, talking little human. You were my rock on hard days, where I was tired and running on no sleep, but it was all worth it because of you.
When I put you to bed, I immediately miss you. Every morning I wake up so excited to see. It is one more day that I get to experience the world with you. I get to see you smile, laugh, play, and discover. You bring so much light into the world and you make so many people so happy with just your smile alone. I feel so blessed that I get to be your mama.
The days were long, but the years are short, and my goodness this year was short. You have so many big things ahead of you and I will be here with you every step of the way. I will keep holding you tight and never ever stop loving you no matter what.
Your forever,
Your mama
