Happy 1st Birthday!

Thank you all for the congratulations on the last post. I'll share more very soon about what has been going on over the past several weeks. I will say that this new pregnancy was a surprise (although not prevented), and we are of course very excited about it. However, today is Jillian's first birthday and so I'd like to focus on her for this post.

For the past several days I've been thinking back to a year ago in my mind. A year ago it was my first day of maternity leave. A year ago I was waiting around anxiously for your arrival and now we're throwing a birthday party. A year ago I was having unbearable contractions that were getting me nowhere. A year ago we met our baby for the first time.

I remember bringing her home from the hospital. I was completely sleep deprived but couldn't sleep. My nerves were frazzled as the reality of the responsibility of parenthood weighed on me. I was somebody's mother. How on earth wouldn't I screw this up? The weeks of maternity leave seemed to stretch forever in front of me, and I wondered if I was capable of surviving it.

Those early days were tough. When I took her to the doctor regarding her constant crying, he assured me it was gas and that it would pass by the time she was 13 weeks old or so. When you have a 2 week old, 13 weeks old seems forever away. Finally by December the fussiness subsided, and smiles began to emerge. I was sleeping again somewhat regularly. And suddenly she became so much fun. Of course then she began moving and life became an adventure once again...

A year ago, I would have never dreamed that this is what my one year old would be like. Walking. Climbing. Copying everything we do from clapping to throwing two arms up in the air and saying touch down "tuh duh". Standing next to Cujo and begging for food as we eat dinner. Enjoying the loudest and most obnoxious toys. Snuggling. Laughing constantly.

Mommy and daddy love you Jillian. We hope your first birthday is just the first of many, many happy years to come.