Zeus’ beard!! How do I have a one-year-old? This concludes her monthly portraits (these were taken the morning of her birthday), which have gotten really tricky the past few months, due to her unwillingness to hold still for even a second (she’s almost running!)

It’s so hard to believe how much she’s grown and changed. It startled me the other day when I was carrying her, and I realized her feet were bumping against my knees. She’s that long, when her whole body used to fit between my wrist and crook of my elbow. It took all of minutes for her to fill my life with new purpose when she was that size. And a year for me to realize my heart has no limit on its capacity to expand.  

I thought I might write down some developmental things. But there are so many facets to her personality, it’s impossible to list. But, to be sure, she is the funniest little thing. I get to see her dance every day, have her try to shove handfuls of lettuce into my mouth from my salad plate, get up in the night to rock her back to sleep, ride so seriously in her wagon, bravely go down the slippery slid, point out her dad’s nose, give sloppy kisses, play chase, and laugh so hard she has to catch her breath.

I’m also pleased we’ve made it a full year breastfeeding. It’s been a privilege, and it’s an honor to be this kid’s mother. As always, I cannot wait for what’s next.