To My Daughter, R, on Her First Birthday

I'm sorry, Sweetheart, that today wasn't a very exciting day. We hung out in the cold garage this morning while a nice man fixed the windshield on Daddy's car. You had potato, mushrooms, and turkey for lunch. I switched two of your bottles today with a sippy cup of cold milk; you were less than pleased with this change. You practiced standing with me and played with your new toys until dinnertime, when you ate yellow rice, chickpeas, and broccoli. Daddy came home, and we sang "Happy Birthday" to you, then we all enjoyed carrot cupcakes together. We went to the gym for a bit, then you finished off the evening watching "Winnie the Pooh." Right now, as I type away on the computer, you are upstairs sleeping fitfully due to the three top teeth that are pushing their way through your gums (you have two bottom teeth already). And that, my dear girl, was your first birthday.

Don't get me wrong, though, we partied hard on Sunday. You were surrounded by friends. You had fun playing with little people just your size, and you received many presents. You dug right into your first cupcake ever.





This is all such a change from your first day in the world last year. And that's the beautiful thing about growing up: everything changes. You were such a tiny, little girl, with a look of eternal peace on your face when I first saw you in the NICU. And even though you were in the hospital for the first twenty days of your life on the outside, I never once thought you were frail. You were small, and fragile, and tired from all of the growing you still had to do, but I saw so much strength in you. You did grow, and you learned everything you needed to know to thrive outside of the hospital. A whole year has passed now and you continue to grow stronger every day. You are incredibly smart and beautiful and just the sweetest baby I could ever hope to call my own. If I can do nothing else in the world, I hope to raise you to be a strong woman who seeks out what she wants, gives to those who don't have, and questions everything. Please continue to grow.

I love you.
Mom <3