HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY MEGHAN!!! :)

Dear Meghan,

Today you are 1 year old!! You've brought your Daddy and me so much joy and happiness this past year! You've grown and changed so much. We brought you home from the hospital when you were not quite 3 weeks old. Even though you were a "big" baby, at 9 lbs, 5 oz., you were so tiny! Mommy had waited a long, long time for a baby to hold and love, and you were a dream come true! You were beautiful and perfect, with a full head of hair, ten little fingers, and ten little toes.

I can't tell you how many times those first few weeks that I would wake up in the night and check to make sure you were still breathing, and to just watch you sleep. I waited so long for you, and I was scared to death something would happen and I'd lose you!

But here you are! You're very 1st birthday! You are now 28 inches tall and weigh 23.9 pounds! You've only been sick ONCE this past year, and oh, how Mommy's heart hurt for her baby girl! You were just absolutely miserable...but even while sick, you were still such a good baby! You didn't cry that much, even though you obviously didn't feel well at all. You just kind of hung around in your Exersaucer or slept a lot. I was SO glad when you were back to your normal happy self!

Your beautiful smile just lights up the whole room! I love to see it, and I love to make you laugh. It's the most precious sound in the world to me.

Oh, baby girl! It doesn't seem possible that a year has gone by! It's been a difficult year for your Daddy and me, but you and your big sister Destiny make it all worthwhile!

You've reached a lot of milestones...your first smile...first giggle...sitting up for the first time, standing, pulling yourself up....and now your first teeth are finally coming in! I thought they'd never get here! Of course, now you're at the stage where you drool all over everything, and you're constantly putting your fingers in your mouth now, as if to say "Hey! What are these sharp things in here?!"

You aren't walking yet, but you zip around the house in your walker! You love that you're able to go into Destiny's room now and play with her. It won't be much longer, though, and you'll be walking all on your own! You already stand without holding on to things for quite a length of time, until you realize you're standing and you'll just plop down on your butt! LOL Crawling is still your preferred method of getting around, and you can crawl like nobody's business!

We'll be having your official birthday party on Saturday, which just happens to be the day before Easter this year. I'll be sure to take tons of pictures!

I just can't wait to see what happens next in your life!

Your Daddy and I love you so very much, baby girl! I know you won't remember this birthday, but I hope the day is wonderful and lots of fun.

Happy 1st Birthday Meghan!!!

Love you always,
Mama