One Year Ago

Dear Mackenzie,

As I sit down to write this, it is almost exactly one year ago that I started to go into labor with you.  Hard to believe.  It has truly flown.  It has been so much fun to watch you grow & I know 

that the best is yet to come!  But as your daddy said last night, part of us wants to just freeze you as you are right now because you are just the sweetest thing & find joy in the simplest of things & that won't always be the case (last night it was sweet tea that made you immensely happy!).  Though I know there will be other things about you as we watch you grow, this is one thing that I wish for you always - to find joy in the simple things in life. 

And while you are now up in your crib napping, I am reminiscing about the year gone by.  It all started with a 4:00 routine appointment on the day before your due date.  In that appointment, my water broke, and a short (ha!) 15 hours later you emerged into this world.  You were a BEAUTIFUL newborn & I am not just a biased mother.  You didn't have the scrunched up face I was prepared for, instead you looked like you had the most peaceful entrance into this world.  You didn't have any sort of jaundice, but instead you had the most beautiful pinkish skin tone I'd ever seen on a brand new baby.  Blue eyes & just a little bit of strawberry blond hair.  One thing you did was stick your tongue out from the beginning.  I guess you were trying to get a take on this new world you found yourself in!  You wanted to figure it out from the moment you arrived!  

Now you are such a big girl compared to that day, but still so small compared to rest of the world.  But you don't let that slow you down.  You are such a curious little girl.  You want to know what EVERYTHING is.  "Dat?" is a phrase we hear ALL day long as you inquire of us what the name is of almost everything you see!  You didn't take long to get moving and were rolling, crawling, and walking all ahead of schedule.  And now you are probably just weeks (days?) away from running away from mommy!  Though I know you aren't running to get away, just to go find out something new to get into!  

It hasn't been a perfect year.  You'll learn that this world is like that.  We had to learn alot about how to be parents and how to take care of you.  I remember crying when Granmommy left after spending the first week with us helping me to take care of you.  Then, it was just you & me kid!  Somehow, I muddled through those crazy first couple weeks and we began to really enjoy our new life with you as you started showing us you little personality with your cooing and smiling face.  We still have a lot to learn, and with each phase you will present us new challenges.  But each phase will also grant us more fun & more of your personality!

You are an amazing little girl & I am so glad that God chose me to be your mommy!