birthday

The first birthday.

Good grief.  This year has [flown] by in a whirlwind of milestones, teeth, crawling, scooting, rolling over, sleep regressions, naptimes, bedtimes, books read, songs sung, babywearing, nursing, on and on and on.

We’ve had our struggles.  That first tooth was a witch with a capital B.

But there have been so many, many [more] ups.

Just her.  She’s a high all unto herself.

As of a whole year old, she has six teeth – four on the top and two on the bottom.  She eats everything in sight but currently adores blackberries above everything else.

She is also wearing 18 – 24m clothing and, at last bathroom scale weigh-in, weighs 27 pounds…give or take.

Someone asked me if she seems one.  That’s a hard question to answer.  She’s still my baby girl and still cuddles as she always has.  She still wakes up twice a night to nurse.  She still fights naptime like a ninja.

But in the last month?

Personality [boom].  It’s like she’s a tiny person now with thoughts and expressions and movements.  I can’t really describe the change that has come over her in the past month but I swear I half expect her to look up at me and calmly, simply explain to me in a rational manner what she’s considering doing next.

Olivia is still crawling but [could] walk if she really wanted to.  The balance is there and she’s accidentally stood unassisted or shuffled a step forward before realizing what she’s doing.  I imagine she will go the same route as all her mobility milestones.  She’ll physically be able to for a while but mentally isn’t quite there yet.  One day, it will click and she will do it like it isn’t any big deal and we’ll have a little walker on our hands.

She has her daddy’s smile and the way his eyes crinkle up when he does.  She has my eye color and my brown curls.  She has a similar birthmark as her uncle.  She has the same eye shape as her oldest cousin.  She has a squealing, hilarious, contagious laugh that can lift the mood of anyone no matter what.  She laughs with her entire body…her whole being.  When she laughs, it is amazingly hilarious and so [in the moment].  I hope she always retains at least a part of that.

I know it seems cliché but I can’t believe it’s been a year.  It really does feel like we just brought home this little floppy newborn.  We were scared, nervous, happy, tired new parents with this thing that completely depended on us.  She’s, by far, the best thing that has ever happened to us.  I wouldn’t go back and change a second of it.

We may not be the most perfect parents in the world.  We have made mistakes in the past.  We go with our gut and hope it all turns out alright.  We try what we can and try to stay as patient as possible.  We don’t always succeed but there are cuddles and apologies later.  We’re all learning as we go and this past year has taught us a lot about patience, understanding, trying alternative solutions, and surviving on little to no sleep.

Honestly? I think we’ve done a pretty damn good job.  She’s healthy, happy, smart, curious, loved, needed and wanted.  And that’s all any of us need.

Also? I am very proud to say that we have made it a full year breastfeeding and are still going strong.  It was a personal goal of mine and I’m so thankful that, save for a few bumps at the beginning, we have had a wonderful, easy nursing relationship.

Happy Birthday, baby girl.  I can’t wait to see what this year holds…