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Here she is, my Bug, less than five minutes old.

Tomorrow she’ll be one. Oh, how quickly this year has gone! She has challenged us, this one. She has stretched us more than we thought we could stretch. Not always gently. She was born strong. She was born awake and stayed that way for the majority of her first year. We had no idea we could function on so little sleep. She is an explorer, a climber, a fighter. She is also tender, loves to snuggle, loves to touch. She yells in protest when her sister aggravates her. She bursts into adorable, heartbreaking tears when her father tells her no. She grins when I tell her no. She dances to Mahna Mahna.  She loves cheese. She loves her Teddy. She loves her sister. She hates having her face washed. She has taken more falls in her first year than I think her sister has in four…climbed out of her crib (after we lowered her mattress to avoid just that), climbed out of her (buckled) highchair, climbed onto and fell off the hearth, climbed onto and fell off the sofa, etc. She has been walking for a month. She keeps us on our toes. She makes us laugh every day. She says, “DaDa” frequently, “MaMa” occasionally, both appropriately. When she is happy, she is happy; when she is sad, she is sad. She is full of life, joy, energy, enthusiasm.  I am excited to see her story unfold. I am not all that worried about what life will bring to her, because I can already see what she brings to life.

Happy birthday, Bug! I love you so very much.