Hi little ladybug.

A year ago, we were in the final countdown to your birth. Things seemed to be moving along easily and I honestly thought you would be a Christmas baby. I remember singing at church for the Christmas program and we joked that I might go into labor on stage and bring new meaning to “live nativity.” But, just like your brother, you were comfy in there and needed a little assistance to motivate you to come out.

And now, in what seems like a snap of the finger, we’ve been holding you in our arms, kissing your chubby cheeks, and tickling your tummy for 11 months. Oh, how we love and adore you.

You’re a complete daddy’s girl. You love him so much and particularly being held by him. You hear the door to the garage open and instantly speed crawl that direction, jabbering “dadadadada”. (You also jabber “mamamamama”, but I’m definitely second fiddle to your daddy.)

You are developing quite an opinion about things and, if you don’t get your way, you have already started throwing baby tantrums, arching your back and crying or balling up your fists and pouting. You particularly love to climb, whether it be stairs or furniture or your brother, and when I stop you, you get especially mad.

A few things I’m especially loving right now:

• When I lay you down in your bed, especially at night, you immediately roll over and sprawl on your stomach like you’ve just been waiting for this moment.
• How you easily sit on my hip while I carry you and sometimes act ornery and try to stick your fingers in my mouth.
• How you point—properly, with your pointer finger—at things that interest you.
• How you wake up and stand in your crib, staring at the door, waiting for Henry to bust in and say hello. Then immediately try to get away from me when I reach to get you out. You plop down and crawl as fast as you can—which is really quick—to the back of the crib where it’s harder for me to reach you. Then you giggle because this little game of yours is your favorite.
• How you duck your head to my shoulder when you’re shy.
• How much you love playing with my childhood doll and what a little mama you are to her. The fact that you’re still a baby yourself makes it all extra adorable.

Just when I think I can’t love you any more than I already do, my heart just keeps bursting a bit more. Parenting is, no doubt, challenging and frustrating and exhausting and overwhelming, but it’s also amazing and confounding and beautiful and astonishing. Nothing in my life has been as fulfilling as being a mother. I have you and your brother to thank for that.

Oh, how I love you. And, in case you ever wonder, nothing—absolutely nothing—will make me love you less.

Mama

I cannot get you to hold still for anything! Thankfully we only have one more photo like this next month because I honestly work up a sweat just trying to get these now!