1 Year Ago...

Well, it's almost 10pm and E's gifts are wrapped and her cake is done. Yes, I made her cake. I told William it was my duty as E's mother to make her cake. I may have few traditions retained from my youth, but baking is one of them. :) I'm looking forward to seeing my girl tear into her gifts and be more entranced with the paper than the contents and to seeing her eat her cake and wear most of it too. :)

So, after one year, how is my dear girl? Well, I think her eyes have finally settled on hazel...a shade lighter than Daddy's. Those and her crazy long eyelashes are gifts from Daddy. Though I think I see some of me around the eyes too-their shape and what are turning out to be very expressive eyebrows. ;) It must have been all those hours in the high chair watching Mommy make funny faces. She has mine and Grandpere's fine, straight hair though she is developing the cutest curls at the nape of her neck. That straight and curly combo made her first haircut just a little more challenging for Mommy. As if a baby trying to grab the scissors wasn't enough! Her hair is still a light brown, as was mine as a child. E hasn't gotten any more teeth than the 6 I posted about around month 10. Though there are days when I swear my cranky baby must be getting some more! It's strange to look at E now and remember how delicate and tiny she was when she came into this world. There really is no stopping the passage of time. It is happening right before our eyes. :)

E is still crawling about...though she has different speeds depending on how determined she is to reach her destination. For example, if it is an open door down the hall or if Mommy or Daddy have disappeared somewhere, she has a distinctive elephant crawl. She stands/wobbles on her own and walks around the furniture using it as support. I suspect unassisted walking is not far off. She likes to practice her standing on the bed or rug where her tush has a softer landing. Smart kid. :) She eats just about everything. Though I think her favorite food is salmon and corn. She loves to feed herself, so that is part of the allure. She eats most of what we eat...though probably still a lot healthier! :) I still make most of her food, but she's had nibbles of cookies, and other goodies here and there. Mealtime is E's favorite time to ham it up. It might be the finger food or the joy of holding one's own spoon or Mommy and Daddy's undivided attention. Whatever it is, she likes it. E's favorite toys still seem to be my old cellphone and the remotes. She does often page through her books and talk to herself though. Her favorite lookout is the living room window where she can see all the traffic. And boy, does she have an ear for the diesel engines of the garbage and recycling trucks! By far the most interesting vehicles around. :) Though E still sleeps through the night, she was having some anxiety about going to bed. This necessitated extra snuggle and reading time before bed. You won't hear me complaining! Sometimes it's the only time she holds still! :) She's still hasn't complained about my singing, so we stick to our fav books Pio Peep and Moo Muu :)

Things have been a bit chaotic in our household lately. I am infinitely grateful for the presence and daily needs of my one year old to keep me grounded and so very deeply in love. I got sick so my surgery was postponed until I could get back on my feet. There, of course, was a sense of just wanting to get it over with and disappointment that we would have to wait and then the added stress of dealing with these secondary health issues. Of course, William also happened to be in a mad dash to finish a proposal for work and was under extraordinary stress when this all went down.

Now that my surgery is only days away...a calm has come to the house and to us. William is now done with his project and can relax. We are able to spend part of the day together doing fun, trivial things....watching a movie, going for lunch. I am decidedly taking things day by day and not letting Friday arrive before it's time. I am happy to make cakes, go for lunch, and occasionally, update our blog. :) It is a continuous lesson in letting go of fear, and 'tomorrow', and that which you can't control...which is pretty much everything. So, I'm just focusing on today, my daughter, my husband, and living gratefully for this crazy, amazing, and sometimes overwhelming human experience. That's how is should work theoretically anyways. I do still have my moments of panic. It seems these kinds of things have be learned again and again. I look forward to the time when my biggest drama is not being able to find my keys. Meanwhile, I am grateful to all of you as well for your love and support...it is one of the sweetest things about the human experience.

P.S. E has discovered my belly button and delights in putting her finger in it. She thinks it's hysterical. :)

What?? I wasn't going to end this post on a completely serious note. Besides, it's adorable! :)