Thursday, August 18, 2011

An open letter to Daphne on her first birthday

Dear Daphne,

Today you are one year old, so that means it is your first birthday. Birthdays are pretty awesome affairs, and I am writing a letter to you because you won't remember it.

We celebrated you already, and I will fill you in on that more later (you had a rocking party), but I really wanted to make mention of some of the ways you have astonished me this year.

The first time I saw you, you looked at me like, "Oh! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" You still look at me like that but with more food on your face.


So a year ago today, you weighed 7 lbs and 10 oz. You were 20.5 inches long. Today, after waiting two hours at the doctor's office during which you opened every drawer, pulled every poster off the wall and charmed every person there, we found out you weigh 21 lbs and 1/2 oz. You are 30.5 inches long. Doctors are real big on accuracy. The real news is that I weigh a whole lot less than I did a year ago, so I'm celebrating that too.

I don't know a lot of babies. I mean, I didn't before I met you, and so I can't say for sure, but I'm pretty sure you're brilliant and extremely advanced. You've done a lot of stuff that some of my friends from college still can't do.

Some of my friends said they cried on their baby's first birthday. I didn't cry or feel any nostalgia or melancholy. Honestly, Daphne? I feel so blessed that God let us have this year with you. You're so healthy and smart and fun, and I know that some families can't say the same of their one year old. When celebrating your birthday, I can't help but mourn for your cousin Dallas born on the same exact day and in heaven now. Why would I cry because you've grown? I'm so happy that you're here!

Your Dad and I are pretty much gobsmacked by you daily. After you go to bed, we sit around and talk about everything you did that day. We try to imitate your new phrase, "Ducka ducka ducka," to each other and we smile and laugh and love each other even more than ever because of you.

I pray that we have many more birthdays to celebrate, but even if we don't, I'm overwhelmed and grateful for this first one. You are so dear to me, Daphne.

Love,
Mommy

1 comment:

  1. this is the sweetest thing ever. made me teary. Love it

    ReplyDelete