To our sweet girl on her very first birthday,

You are truly stunning, awesomely amazing, wonderfully perfect and beautifully you. You have given a light to all of our lives that we could never have imagined before we met you. The way you light up in a huge grin from head to toe when you see me in the morning is one of the best parts of my day. That and nursing you before bed at night when we’re snuggling in the dark together – you unlatch and snuggle into my neck with a sigh and as I sing to you we rock in peace as only a mother and child can. God gave you to our family because you are perfect for us, and I am so grateful for that every day.

There will never be any doubt that you are loved and cherished more than should be humanly possible and I could go on and on. Instead, though, let’s focus on you…

You have four front teeth on top, two on the bottom and all four of your 15 month molars already – 10 teeth and you are just barely one! None of them gave you any trouble except the molars, and holy heck did they give you trouble. Weeks on end of no sleep to cut those suckers. It was just three days ago that you went back to waking only once in the night to nurse. For the month prior you were spending a lot of nights writhing in pain in my armpit and not even Advil gave you any relief.

You took your first independent steps on Christmas Day at Grandma Betty’s house and were so incredibly pleased with yourself. Your pride was tangible as you walked back and forth from Grandma to me, from Auntie Sasha to me, from Daddy to me, from couch to loveseat…you loved every second of it!

Christmas was a huge hit in your books. You were spoiled beyond belief by everyone. Grandma Betty got you your favourite gift – twin newborn dolls with a stroller, bassinet and swing/high chair. You push those babies around in the stroller day in and day out and heaven help the big brother who tries to touch your babies. You also really took to “Candy Hearts Cassidy,” the Groovy Girl that you got from Auntie Mel & Lauren. Nothing that Mommy & Daddy got you even compares to those babies of yours.

We had a celebration of your birthday yesterday with your friends & family – Grandma Betty, Grandma Jeet, Grandpa Roger and Auntie Sasha made the treacherous & snowy drive from (blah blah) to celebrate with us and in addition to Daddy & I & Primo you also had Emilie, Alex & Susan, Camdyn, Dawson, Evan & Jackie, Connor, Kaden & Glenna, Bodie, Toby & Lori, Joshua, Liam & Janene. With the way our circle of friends works, 5 of your friends equals a party of 24 because most have siblings who are Primo’s age. It was chaotic but a wonderful time and you enjoyed every minute of it. You had a little morning nap which is out of the ordinary for you, but it allowed you to be awake and happy until 2:30 when your last guests were leaving. Mommy’s friend Trena made your cake and it was fantastic. It was a stacked cake iced with white butter cream icing and covered with colourful fondant polka dots, ribbons, butterflies & flowers. The cake was organic & made with rice flour. It was a white cake with lemon zest in it and she filled it with cranberry butter cream. It was amazingly delicious and you totally agreed with me. Trena made you your very own little cupcake with a flower which you loved. You were particularly enthralled with the sparkler on top, but didn’t really care about the candle on the big cake so Primo and his buddies blew it out for you. You received some lovely gifts but were really only into the playing with the ribbon & eating the tissue & wrapping paper. It worked out well because the big kids were able to help open your presents and you were none the wiser. The one thing that thrilled you and all of your friends was the big wooden zoo thingy that Grandma Betty got you. It’s like 10 toys in one and everyone loved it. Once your party was over, though, you found your books, puzzle & Little People bus & played with them all evening.

Today your Grandma Kent & Grandma Cecilia came for a visit because they had to work yesterday so we got to have another little party for you. They gave you your very first Canada Savings Bond to get your life as an investor started young.

Today your sign language really took off. I haven’t been nearly as persistent with you as I was with your brother simply due to a combination of laziness and lack of time, but you really want to communicate so you’re sure to pick it up. You’ve been signing ‘more’ and ‘help’ all day, and actually mean what you say. You love to talk and say “Dada,” “Mama,” “Hi,” “Bye Bah,” “Tuck” (as in “tuck me in”), “Dis,” “Dat,” and “Thai.” I’m pretty sure you know what the letter “S” is too because you say “Ess” every time you pick that magnet off of the fridge, but it could just be a fluke. It wouldn’t be too shocking, though, because Primo is obsessed with the alphabet and pre-reading so you’re surrounded by it for all your waking hours.

You love to play peek-a-boo, you clap on command and say “Yay!” and you would climb stairs all day if we let you. I’ve been trying for a month to teach you to turn around and crawl down backwards but you insist that you are going to learn to walk down. You walk to the edge and grab the rail and almost independently step down before sitting on the step to clap and cheer for yourself. Unfortunately it’s only at Susan’s house that the railing has rods that go all the way to the floor for you to grab so at home you’re stuck with holding my hand. I hope you learn to turn around soon because I have visions of you taking a header, but you are much more cautious than your brother ever was so perhaps you’ll just learn to be careful. What a novelty.

You love the bathtub and even love when I put water in it and put you in there. You are happy just to play in there with your clothes on too, which is nice when I have to use the washroom because it keeps you from eating the toilet paper. You will play and splash in there for 20 minutes and always fight me when I try to get you out. You especially love to bath with Primo and I must admit that it’s pretty darn cute – but it’s dangerous since he’s not all that gentle or still in there so we don’t let it last more than a few minutes and always with one of my hands on you or hovering above you.

Tonight you pooped in the potty for the first time! It was a fluke for sure – you were actually pooping in the bathtub and I pulled you out and put you on the toilet for the rest to plop in there, but it was cool nevertheless. And kind of funny. Thank God they were solid. You haven’t done that since you were just a couple of weeks old and you pooped all over me while I was nursing you in our ensuite tub.

In the last few days you’ve started to lunge forward and do what can almost be called running. It’s pretty darn cute and you always giggle when you do it. You’ve also started the most adorable little nose wrinkle when you smile sometimes and it completely melts me. I can not get over how cute you are – it’s beyond belief, really.

I can’t believe I’m already wishing you a happy first birthday, Bella. This year hasn’t slowed down even for a second – it has flown even faster than the first year with Primo did because we’ve had more to do with a larger family. I have done my best to cherish each and every moment with you, whether it be a quick hug and kiss, watching you play with your brother or holding you in the dark of night while you nurse. I know the memories will fade but the intense love that I have for you, my baby girl, never will. I promise to always care for you as I have this first year, and though it won’t always be with breastmilk and baby carriers, it will always be with the very best of intentions and more love than you can possibly imagine.

I love you higher than numbers can count, further than the eye can see and taller than the highest stars.

Mommy
xoxo