one year ago...

the birthday celebration was a two day affair. chris arranged to have an edible arrangement sent to daycare yesterday. the kids devoured the fruit. it was a hit. he also included a very sweet card. i, on the other hand, am still waiting for my sweet mother's day card. hmm. anyway, i was planning on just having a tiny party for mya, claire and i, but my friends set me straight. they know just when to step in and i guess that is what makes them the absolute best. every one year old needs a special party for this special milestone. needless to say, i bought some polkadot balloons, made a polkadot cake, bought a polkadot "one" onesie and voila, it was a polkadot party. we were joined by michelle & lucy and allison and henri. they bought her some balloons, party supplies and a cute little chair that i had been eyeing at pottery barn. love it. mya loved it too. she and claire took turns sitting in it all night and even did so together a few times. mya also got a cute little book and coordinating monster from mark and april, money from my parents (putting that in her bank because quite honestly the kid needs nothing) and an elmo toy, and books from us. it was an appropriately small, but special birthday for our beautiful girl. flat daddy also made his appearance. it was rather large, which i think confused mya. she studied the picture closely for quite some time. i think she was waiting for daddy to talk to her. thanks for joining us, michelle and allison and for giving me the kick that i needed. as always, you guys are the best.





dearest mya,
one year ago tears of happiness were streaming down my cheeks as daddy took pictures of you being taken out of my tummy. it was such a wonderful moment in my life, welcoming you into this great world. we've shared so many other wonderful moments since that day. you are at the center of many. from the time you were a wee little thing, you've been a snuggler. this is still true. you like to rest your head on our shoulders or anywhere else to show some love and you love to sleep very close to us at night. your latest cute thing you do is try to make eye contact when there is none. if i am looking away, you will get in my face and hold your position until i look at you--then you smile or laugh. it is so sweet.you love to dance, bopping up and down anytime there is music to be heard. you love your sister. you share a bond like no other. where claire is, you are not far. i am so happy that this is true. i want nothing more than for the two of you to be the best of friends. mya, you have a mellowness about you, but if you are upset or want something quickly, you let us know. you are a happy little thing who loves to be tickled. your deep chuckles make my heart sing and the way you wrinkle your nose makes it melt. you are so special.
you are still wearing size 3 diapers. i think you are following your sister's pattern of growth as your weight gain has tapered off. you are wearing some 6, 9 and 12 month clothing, but the 12 month sizes are a bit of a stretch. you wear size 3 shoes and have figured out velcro. i am always putting shoes with laces on now. lesson learned. you also hate socks. you take them off everytime. you are only using sippy cups now. no more bottles. the transition was rather easy as has been the transition off of formula. i started that this week. you don't seem to care what you are drinking or how. easy to please, just like your momma ;) you eat nearly anything, but like to do so on your own terms. if i put something in your mouth, you spit it out, but slowly feed yourself. it is kind of funny, yet frustrating. we give you pretty much anything and everything that we eat with the exception of nuts, strawberries and honey.
you love to play, play, play. your favorite thing is discovering all the toys in the television cabinet. you open the doors, crawl deep inside and empty out nearly every single toy. you like to read books, and enjoy messing with sophie. you grab her ears, her tail and try to grab her eyes. she is so tolerant and let's you do almost anything to her. you also love to play in the children's kitchen in claire's room. you have such fun taking out all the food, jingling the utensils together and standing up to peer over the counter. your latest thing is climbing. i first found you climbing into the kids chair in claire's room, then i saw you stepping on the step stool in the kitchen, then onto the sit n stand stroller, the chairs at the library and most recently, the drawers in the bathroom. yes, the drawers. you climbed in the lowest drawer, using that extra height to peek into the drawer above it. what a bugger. daddy was supposedly a climber too, but i'll make sure you stay off the refridgerator. you are just a curious little girl.
you don't have many words right now. they mostly consist of "hi," "uh-oh," "momma," and "dadda." you understand so much more. i know in no time at all, you will be conversing like your sister.
life is definitely a lovely adventure with you in it. your daddy and i cannot wait to watch you grow right before our eyes. you are trouble and we are loving every minute of it. happy first birthday, baby. may each birthday mark the end of a wonderful year and the beginning of an even better one.