Happy Birthday to you!

One year old today. Notice the cure monkey shirt from her Grams! I thought we'd try out coloring. She used the crayons properly for a bit, then decided that she wanted to eat them.
Her new favorite food!
One year ago! Look at that angel!
One of the first pictures taken!

One year ago today, I was recovering from giving birth to Coranelle at 2:30 in the morning. Yup, today is her birthday! I think she's had a pretty good day so far. This morning I took her for a run and she was very content. No pacifier needed, just chattering away to the gzillion bunnies out. Then, we went out to get some groceries for her upcoming party. Coranelle was a huge fan of the foil cupcake tins. After her nap, I let her eat all the strawberries and guac she could handle. Then we went for a bikeride over to a nice park to meet a friend and her son. Without her helmet, and with a snack, she seemed to really enjoy the ride. Our used In-Step trailer has turned out to be quite fun. It rides really smoothly and it's wonderful to get out and ride to the park. It will also help me train a little bit for our triathlon in June.

After our rendezvous at the park, we came home and I mowed the lawn in preparation for this Saturday's celebration. It was a pretty hot, sunny day today and I am thrilled to have some summer upon us!

It's a bit hard to believe that a whole year has passed since we had Coranelle. I really cannot imagine our lives without her. I just checked on her while she was sleeping and watched her adorable little sleeping face and smiled at the fact that she had a pacifier hanging out of her mouth and one in each hand. Love her! When I reflect on the past year, I have to admit, I LOVE my life. I feel so blessed and happy. Do I miss teaching... sure. But, I know I would miss Coranelle every day a whole lot more. Was it hard to be left out by some old friends once we had a child, yes. Yet, we have made some amazing new friends and they are the wonderful type of friends that you could call at 2am and they would be there to help in a heartbeat. Do I wish Coranelle's first months weren't so hard with so much crying- of course. Although, I hope that going through that will help me to know how to be there for other moms who have to go through similar situations. Do I wish that my daughter would stop screeching at the top of her lungs. Definitely! But, I know that with any job or relationships- there are many challenges to face and overcome and this is just one that we're in the middle of. Ask me if I still feel that positive about the situation when Coranelle is awake and my ears are ringing, and I might say something different- but that's besides the point!

All in all, I have loved getting to know our spirited little girl this past year. It brings me such joy to see Ryan taking care of her, playing with her and making her giggle. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching her make bonds with her grandparents and family. I love seeing her standing there, hanging on the crib with a little smile on her face when I go in to get her in the mornings. I treasure the chances to give her baths and see her splash an squeal. I love seeing her laugh and smile and play with her toys and cuddle her stuffed animals. I get so excited when she gives me a wet, slobbery kiss and waves good-bye. She's a pretty special little girl. I am excited to share many more birthdays with her!