To Katie On Her First Birthday

Happy 1st Birthday, Katie!

I can hardly believe that you entered this world one year ago today. After 36 hours of labor (thank goodness for epidurals!) we finally got to lay our eyes on the little baby we had been so anxious to meet, the baby we had been praying for for months and the baby I had been praying for for years, even before I knew your daddy. It was you, sweet girl! Wonderful, beautiful you! You were the baby that God had designed for our family long before we could have even dreamed of you ourselves. And He did such a perfect job.

Your arrival took some adjusting. Did you know that the night we brought you home from the hospital your daddy and I actually set an alarm clock because we thought you weren't going to wake up in time to be fed?! We were so naive! I don't think you slept even an hour that night! We really didn't know what to do with this little life we were given and we didn't want to do anything wrong because you were so precious to us. But by God's grace, we made it through.

And look at you now! You are no longer a baby but a beautiful little girl and I love so many things about you. I love how funny you are. You have a great sense of humor. I love how smart you are. You know so many words and songs...you even know that giving daddy or me a hug before we put you down to bed will buy you a few extra minutes of awake time :) I love how thoughtful you are. There isn't a day that goes by when you don't intently watch everything we're doing, taking it all in. That is something we've noticed about you from when you were just a few months old. I love how beautiful you are. Complete strangers stop me to tell me what gorgeous eyes you have. And that smile! I love how sweet you are. The way you twirl my hair when you're tired, share your toys with your friends, hug and care for your bear, and give us kisses melts my heart. I could go on and on about how wonderful you are, my dear girl, but I'll save it for another letter. Your dad and I love you more than we ever thought possible. You bring so much joy and laughter to our days. We thank the Lord for giving us such a sweet girl. I pray that you know how much you are loved this day and every day, by your parents and by your Creator.

Love,
Mom