Big Day!

Well, it's official. Ed and I have been the proud parents of the most loveable, sweet, adorable baby girl for an entire year now. I can't believe it. If you would've told me a year ago that this 365 days would go by as fast as it has, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But it seems like as soon as we brought that tiny little bundle of love through our front door, time just took a faster pace. And never looked back (despite my constant begging for it to stop for at least the first four months). And here we are... an entire year later.

I finally wrote one of my "Letter(s) to Baby" from my baby books last night. In it, I told Avery that it feels like my life officially began the day hers did. I'm not trying to discredit my first 28 years, or take anything away from anyone who has been a part of my life until then, but it just feels like nothing really mattered until I had her. I know I've said it before, but Avery's birthday was the best day of my life. I know all of you with kids understand what I mean, but before I had her, I really didn't get it. I heard people say it, and it made sense, for sure. But now I feel it, every sense of the words. There is no greater experience than meeting your baby for the first time after months of awaiting her presence in your world.

Ed and I were talking about it over the past few days, and I knew that I'd love being a mother. I knew that I'd love my baby and that the life of a mother was exactly what I was cut out for. What I didn't anticipate was how Avery would factor into that equation. What I mean by that is that I didn't even think about what kind of a little person she would be. I just knew I'd like motherhood itself. Having lived with this wonderful, smart, loving, fun baby girl for the past year, I can wholeheartedly say that I absolutely love, adore, being Avery's Mommy. "Motherhood" means so much more to me now that I've been lucky enough to be Avery's Mommy. She brings me joy every single day of my life. She fills my heart with love in a way that I didn't even know was possible. I know I can speak for Ed and I both when I say that we just feel so blessed with her in our world. We are so very grateful for our beautiful baby Avery, and we can't wait to see what the next year (and the next and the next and the next) have in store for our little family. Thanks for being along with us for the ride.