I promise you, kid, to give so much more than I get.

Tomorrow, I will have a one year old.
I would love to write a nice long nostalgic post right now, where I share lots of precious memories, update with all her milestones, and tell her so many things, but it is getting late and I am in no position to make myself bawl like a baby.

Goodness, I can't believe she is (almost)one.

In some ways, it seems like the year went by nice and slow, that I can see how much she has grown. She is so smart and interactive now, with so many fun personality quirks and silly little things she does. I know her so well.

But still, when she sits on my lap before bed every night and lays her head on my chest as I sing "Jesus Loves Me," she is still very much a baby, even though her legs hang over my lap now rather than curling up on my tummy.

This time last year, I was probably trying to sleep through back pain and weird leg cramps. I had eaten some eggless raw cookie dough, and had made some dinner plans with some friends. My baby was not due for days, and I was trying to enjoy it, even though I could not wait for her to get here.

And then BAM! There she was. In 24 hours, my world completely changed for the better, and I became a new person. She made me a mother.



When I was pregnant with her, the Michael Buble song "Just Haven't Met You Yet" used to play on the radio a lot, and it became "our song" before she was born. I would think about the lyrics as I felt her move in my tummy, marveling at how they seemed to fit meeting a baby so well. Then, when we were struggling with nursing, I would play the song (loudly) in the middle of the night to try to wake us both up for those many feedings she wanted to sleep through. I watched the music video over and over (youtube it: it is the happiest music video ever!) And since then, every time the song comes on Pandora, I take her in my arms and we dance to our song.

I still feel like I am meeting a new piece of her every day. I love it.

I might have to wait, I'll never give up
I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck
Wherever you are, whenever it's right
You'll come out of nowhere and into my life

And I know that we can be so amazing
And, baby, your love is gonna change me
And now I can see every possibility

And somehow I know that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet