One Year

It's been one year already with our beautiful daughter Emmy.

Since we had her birthday party a few weeks early, I've already been through all the feelings of elation at seeing her arrive at this milestone. Today will be a little quieter, with some small festivities, but special just the same.

It's been one year since Emmy was revived to life by a team of nurses and doctors before my eyes.

It's been one year since we became parents and realized that love meant giving of yourself until you were spent, and then more.

It's been one year since I first held my baby close against my body and wondered who she would become.

It's been one year since I saw Anthony turn into a father who loved his daughter more than he loved himself.

It's been one year.

And in this year, we've watched her grow into the most amazing biglittle bundle of crazy happiness.

Emmy is 22 lbs and a little over 31 inches tall, with four teeth and the tip of a molar to her name. She walks, says "mama", "dada", "done", and a few more half-words that we recognize as conversation. She loves turkey, peas, bananas, raisins and nursing. She cries when Petey has to go outside, and waits for him at window of the back door. She waves to babies in the grocery store, but acts shy when grown-ups say hello. She loves to grab the pillows off of the couch so that she can throw herself onto them and roll around, giggling. She opens books, turns the pages and jibber-jabber reads them to herself (books with pictures of puppies are her favorite). She loves wagon rides and bumpy jogging stroller adventures on the park trails. She has a sweet temperment, and is a happy baby.

We knew that having a baby would be good, but were caught by surprise by the waves of steady joy that she brings to our life. We simply love her.

Happy birthday, Emmy!

How wonderful life is when you're in the world...