Happy New Birthday

Christmas was wonderful with Olivia. She slept until about 9:30 am which was a Christmas gift I think she gave to me! Sleeping in!

She seems to like her new toys - but always would prefer to have Mommy's cellphone or Daddy's keys instead. She protests when we take things away from her that aren't for babies - like cords, strings, pieces of paper and the kitty.

Her birthday is just days away and I'm so excited to have a 1-year-old. She still doesn't say Mama, but I know it will come eventually. She's taken one or two unassisted steps, but still prefers to crawl.

I'm sitting here typing this, and remembering what it was like exactly one year ago on my due date... waiting for contractions to start... so tired of being pregnant and so anxious to meet Olivia. And now here I am, exactly one year later, typing at the keyboard with the whole year behind me.

It's been wonderful and difficult and full of joy and sorrow. The beginning weeks with Olivia were some of the hardest times I've ever known. I was so overwhelmed and scared - and God gave me such support through my family and friends. Now, looking back, I can only remember the good parts. The bad parts are such a distant memory that I almost forget they even existed. I wonder what it will be like when we decide to have another baby. I wonder when that will be... :-)

For now, I'm enjoying my days at Spirit and the comfort of knowing that Olivia is having a blast at Grandmas. She's so happy there. And I'm so thankful that God made a way that I could work and be a mom at the same time. I know it's not for everyone, but it's really working well for me and my family for this season. And I feel blessed.

So here we go - off on another adventure for Olivia's second year of life. So far, so good. Thank you for taking the journey with me. I appreciate every email and comment more than you could know. You've helped me transition into motherhood - you've helped me learn how to get her to take a bottle when I'm away, and how to get her to sleep through the night, and how to cherish all the moments because they do go by quickly. So thank you.

Sarah