One year

Olivia Grace,

Today is your first birthday. You are one year old.

Your " dada" and I have watched you grow from a tiny, helpless newborn to a fiercely independent, sometimes stubborn, little girl. You no longer need us to rock you to sleep, or hold your bottle, or carry you with both arms. And boy, do we miss doing those things for you.

But, we are so proud of how much you have learned this year. You say "mama", "dada", "dog" and "duck". You also say "uh-oh" whenever you drop something, and tell us that the dog says "oof-oof". You can sign "more" and "all done" and we are working on signing please and thank you. You give dada a "high-five" whenever he asks for it, but you are very scarce with your kisses. You love to wave to people, and you smile at strangers in public quite often. You have started to laugh out loud, and you love when people laugh back at you. In fact, you are quite a ham.

Occasionally though, when things don't go your way, you get quite angry, which often results in screams & tears. You know exactly what you want, and you aren't happy when you don't get it. You do not like to have your diaper changed, and you are not happy when you are hungry (Dada calls it "hangry" and you get that from me). Dada and I are working to help you learn that sometimes, in life, you can't have it all.

Truth be told, I wish you could have it all! And I wish I could be the one to give it to you.

You have 10 (yes, ten!) teeth already and you wear 12 month size clothes. You are long, but still on the small side in your weight. You aren't quite standing or walking alone yet, but I know you will when you're ready. You eat three real meals each day, along with snacks throughout the day! You love blueberries, yogurt, crackers, and peaches. You don't love whole milk, but enjoy drinking water from your sippy cup.

You are loved by so many people, and for that, we are so lucky. Although, you are easy to love. You keep us laughing every day and you certainly keep us on our toes!

We would do anything for you, Goosey, and I pray you always know that. You have brought an immeasurable amount of joy to our lives. In just one year, you have shown us what it means to have real, true, unconditional love. You are truly the light of our lives.

Thank you, baby, for the absolute best year of my life.

Love always and forever,
Mama