Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

I can't believe how much can change in one year. One year ago you were still our little baby. You could barely crawl, you couldn't walk, you couldn't talk, you barely had any hair and you rarely graced us with a smile! Now you're a a real kid, running around, climbing on furniture, talking up a storm, and generally charming the pants off people with your cute little pigtails and chipmunk smile. You have real opinions and you can articulate what you want (and oh boy can you articulate when you don't get what you want!). You're becoming such a good big sister too. You let me know when Rafael is crying. You remind me to change his diaper every time I change yours. And now you've started kissing him good night and good morning.

And the changes in me! Parenting a toddler is soooo different than parenting a baby. You've helped me grow from the hovering paranoid mom who wouldn't even let her daughter eat a cupcake on her first birthday (the sugar! Oh the horror!) into a relaxed laid back mommy who tries to roll with the punches. Yesterday morning I went into your room when you woke up and you gave me a huuuuge smile, saying in your sweet little voice "Hi mama!". As my heart melted, I knew then that even though we've had some bumps along the road, as long as I keep showing you how much I love you, you're gonna be ok. I'm so excited to see where the next year takes us!