Happy Birthday Lily Bug,
What a beauty you are at 1 year. Your First Birthday Celebration was done in style, with classy hats, a beautiful castle cake from your Aunt Laura, a traditional "Ice Cream train cake" just like your Daddy had at his first Birthday, and about 35 wonderful people who love you and wanted to share this special day with you. I think you were a bit overwhelmed with all the people in a tight space, we had it at our new favorite place, Cartwheels & Coffee. At one year, you started drinking from a sippy cup, even if it's not every time. You also want to feed yourself, as pictured above. You're actually quite the neat freak with food, I'm impressed and elated. You've also made some friends of your own that you meet up with Sunday's at the church Nursery. Above is Eamon Barras hugging you, a frequent site between you two. What a special day it was, with so many memories flashing by of the previous year. I know you won't understand this for a while, but I'm beginning to forget what life was like before you came. I know it was a good life, a great life actually, but still the past year has been absolutely amazing. Sure, the sleepless nights have not yet faded in memory, and the poopy diapers have definitely not faded in frequency or pungency, but all the same, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Shortly after your Birthday, you were diagnosed with your first ear infection. The first of two in a months time. You were diagnosed with your second ear infection just 2 hours ago. Common occurance, but please, don't feel you have to be common here.
You've also come down with a couple of colds in the past 3 months. Both requiring the use of a nebulizer, something you won't soon forget. Well, hopefully at your age, you already have forgotten. I would hate for you to hold a grudge on me for making you suffer through such treatments.
Yesterday we experienced a new thing for both of us. Something that today was diagnosed as Night-Terrors. It had to have been the worst 8 minutes of my life when you woke up yesterday from a nap, and didn't know who I was. Your eyes were open but glazed over. Your body was stiff, and motionless, your scream was torturing, and without meaning, and the look of terror on your face that you didn't know who I was had to have been the most difficult moments of my life. The diagnosis today confirmed that you were, in both instances that this occured yesterday, still asleep. You were infact, unaware of your surroundings and wouldn't recognize or realize where you were. The good news, if you don't mind me saying so, is that this was most likely caused by the on-set of the ear infection they discovered today. Hopefully, this will reduce the likelyhood of night-terrors being a frequent reoccurance. I'll try my best to heal you quickly of the ear infection, if you could promise to never have a night terror again. Maybe we'll just turn to God for both of those results.
I love watching you learn and grow every day. It's almost scary how much you pick up from us, without us teaching you. A couple of weeks ago, you were walking around here with a pad and a pen (holding the pen correctly and writing on the pad as you walked). We were joking that you were taking inventory. "(Alrighty then, this is the Chair, gotcha....next this is the table..okay got it)." Whatever you were thinking at that moment, I wish I knew. But, it sure is fun to try to guess.
Alright, more to come later, but just keep laughing. That sound is the most pleasurable sound in the world to me. I love you Sweetie.
