Melanie's First Birthday

January 23, 2015 

Mel's first birthday. 

I cannot believe a whole year has come and gone since she was born. It has been a year of joys and fears. Happiness and laughter along with tears and frustrations. 

The journey of parenthood has been exactly that, a journey. There's no road map. No compass. No gps. It's a blind adventure. Before Mel, and even Paige, I read a fair number of books trying to prepare myself for motherhood, parenting, having a baby girl, having a child after the loss of a child, breastfeeding, childbirth, and marriage after kids. None of those books could prepare me for the roller coaster adventure I was about to embark on.

The day of Mels first birthday, she learned to walk. Not only did my little 7 lb baby grow into an adorable blonde blue eyed toddler, but she also grew into a walker. A baby gibberish talking, walking, solid food eating, toddler. All in a years time. I felt like I got hit by two busses from different directions. Double whammy. My baby girl is one.... And she started walking on her first birthday.   

How does a full year with an infant go by so fast? In my 25 years of life, this past year has been the fastest paced one yet. I knew children grow up fast, I was told by multiple people that they grow faster than you wish.  I never knew it would be this quick. From 7lbs to 19lbs. From fragile to bouncing off the walls and floors.... She has grown up into a toddler in the blink of an eye. One day she was crawling, the next she was walking all over the place. One day she's crying   because she's hungry, the next she's throwing a fit because a toy is in her way and she's blocked from where she wants to go. She has matured from a simple baby to a complex toddler. Her personality is exquisite. She truly is her fathers daughter, but she gets her looks from her mama.