Happy Birthday Annabelle

Happy Birthday Annabelle!

( I have a box of tissues next to the key board, not kidding!)

I can not believe that I am typing those words out!!  Where has this year gone sweet one?  We have had the time of our lives with you.  You have challenged us, stretched us and made us laugh harder than we ever thought was possible.

You are seriously the funniest baby that I have ever met.  Once you figure out that something is funny, you keep doing it and it's precious.

I loved you the second that I saw you in that ultrasound room.  You were so tiny, but I knew our Maker had great plans for you.  I loved you even more when we found out that you were a girl.  I felt like I could know you more.  Gosh, then when you were born and our eyes met for that first time... it was over!  I knew that I was toast.  I just loved you so much and promised myself to protect you forever, no matter what.  You were beautiful.  Our Maker had done well!

Over the last year, there have been some challenges.  Living with your sweet grandparents that took us in.  It was hard.  I had no idea what I was doing and was under the microscope.  It was hard.  We eventually got back on our feet and moved into our first home as a family of three and it was beautiful.  We hung out, ate, talked and lots of playing.  I love it.  You learned to sit up, eat solids crawl and all of those milestones the first year.  I have cried with you in my lap while my depression set in.  You held me.  We held each other and it was beautiful.

We have learned so much from you.  You have taught us to laugh even more that we already do.  You have taught us what  good snuggling is (when we can get it and you aren't too busy).  You have taught us the excitement of meal time and we LOVE how you are so NOT picky!!  Thank you thank you thank you!  Can you please continue down this path??

Sweet baby, thank you for loving us so unconditionally.  You have brought us so much joy and joy to those around you!  You make everyone smile and people stop us constantly to tell us how beautiful you are and how sweet you are.  I just smile because I know and I'm SO SO thankful!

You became a big sister way to early.  Not even one yet!  You have done great and have been so brave. I'm sorry that I can't hold you all the time like I use to, thank you for being patient and trying to feed our "babo".


So here is your updates:

• You can say, mamma, dada, babo (baby) and Abbey (thank you frank and sisters!!)
• thank you, please, up, dallas, all done, more and some other words that I'm not really sure what you are saying, but you say them all the time.  These group of words are more the sounds and you don't annunciate them, but you know how to say them at the correct time!
• You are still in size 3 diapers and we are sorta cloth diapering... we took a break when E.K. got here.
• You are in 12-18 month clothes!!  What the heck... i was just packing up you NB's it feels like last month!
• You are getting more and more confident every day on standing by yourself.
• You love to walk around either holding on to us or the furniture... eek!

I love you sweet baby!  I can not wait to see where this next year will take you!

All my love,

Momma