You are 1 Today

--One year ago today you were born. Born early, but beautiful. I was so scared I would lose you, but you are here! I labored with your daddy for awhile, got some yummy pain medicine and brought in the female troops. Your Grandma Connie, Auntie Leslie and Aunt Kait joined your daddy and me in the Red Tent to welcome the newest female Klipsch. So much love for you in that little room!

--One year ago I gained a daughter; another child to love, a girl whose hair I can braid. I'll teach you about boys, your periods, shaving your legs (hopefully with more regularity than your mom). I'll teach you other stuff too, like how to be the only girl on the soccer team or the baseball team, how to chew sunflower seeds, how to bat your eyelashes at your daddy when you REALLY want that piece of candy (okay, so HE'LL be teaching you how to do that to ME). We'll get manis and pedis together and delight in the joys of being women. We'll read great books and discuss the philosphocal ramifactions of it all, the oppression of races and sexes and all the good stuff.

--One year ago today you were whisked from my arms and placed in an incubator. I wasn't allowed to hold you for 24 hours. To this day, those were the toughest 24 hours of my life. You were so little and I knew you needed me the way I needed you, but the doctors didn't trust you would thrive in that condition. 25 hours later you were in my arms and all your stats went right, they went normal; showing them the bond between a woman and her baby is so much stronger than any oxygen tank sometimes. I hope I will always be a source of oxygen for you, a place to clear your head and just feel safe and happy.

--Today you are alive and thriving. You giggle and slurp. You talk and laugh. You crawl and pull yourself to standing. You have rolls on your thighs and the most beautiful eyes. You cry when I drop you off at daycare and come crawling at record breaking speed when I come pick you up. You are life and you are joy.

--Today you are a daughter to your parents and a sister to your brother. You take these roles very seriously and seem happiest when it's just the 4 of us. You take comfort in comfortable surroundings but are adapt at exploring new and wonderful things.

There is so much more I could write about you dear daughter. Today, like a year ago, I praise God for the blessing that you are and have always been to me and to the family. You are a miracle and there will never be a day that I don't thank God for His blessings that have rained down in abundance since you entered my life. Though our family may grow, you will always be my baby girl, my sweet, sweet Dailah. Happy 1st birthday, angel.