Birthday Ponderings

It is quiet. Isabelle has just had her early morning *sippy cup* and is now slumbering in bed for a couple more precious hours. Yes, that's right, no more bottle for our big girl. 365 days ago at this time I was hoisting my largeness into the Tracker and driving with Reg towards Sparrow Hospital, to begin the greatest adventure of our lives. How has a year passed? Unbelievable.

In the last year, which feels like a week and a decade all in one, this precious one has gone from a snuggly, sleepy little stranger to a precocious, talkative, independent, fiercely affectionate, capable little girl who loves to give smooches, put her socks "on" her feet, pat all of her animal friends, eat broccoli and chicken, and babble to anyone who will listen. A year ago I could hardly imagine the day when she would hold her own head up, and now she does "somersaults" over my legs. A year ago the only sounds she made were coos, cries, and burps. Now she says words like mama, dada, tooth, juice, done, and cheese. A year ago our idea of "playing" was mama holding a book or a toy in front of her to examine, if she was awake for a few minutes and doing some tummy time. Now she would rather "read" her own books and pretend to give her baby a bottle than (heaven forbid), have to take a nap. A year ago I had no idea how we would ever teach her all that she would need to know, the essentials like how to hold her head up, eat solid food, sit up on her own....

And yet somehow, through the too-short nights, and the spit up, and the panicky moments of "how do I know if I'm doing it right?," our girl has grown up just as she should, and she has taught me how to be her mom. And though the days of her sleeping for hours curled up on my chest are fleeting, they are being replaced by new precious moments of seeing her eyes light up as she learns a new word or concept, and moments of watching her sense of humor forms as she tries to tickle my toes, or "hide" from me behind her book, or make me laugh with funny noises only Isabelletheglorious can make. So although I'm not a big one for change (let's face it, that's the understatement of the century), I am learning, through Mommyhood, to embrace it. The change is SO worth it.

Well, it's a long -and wonderful- day ahead (not only is it Belle's birthday, but G-Mama is getting hitched today, too!), so it's probably time I up and arm myself with some waterproof mascara. But in the words of Paul Simon, "These are the days of miracle and wonder." How blessedly true.