One Year

Darwin is one today. We made it through a whole year! I can’t quite believe everything we have packed into the last 12 months– this time last year she wasn’t even on the outside yet, and now she’s a whole person! A short one, but whole.

She has definite ideas of her own, and there’s no making her do something she doesn’t want to do, but she is the happiest (and quietest) baby I know. She started “daycare” of a sort this week– we are doing a childcare swap with a friend, so we have Dar and her friend Nelson 3 mornings a week and the other mama has afternoons– and it’s such fun to watch her interact with other children her age. She is mostly good at sharing, though she does look slightly concerned when N has one of her favorite toys. She is inquisitive and fascinated by older kids.

She loves music, and will bounce and wiggle to anything with a good beat. She also sings to herself, especially in the car or when playing by herself in the pack’n’play. It’s one of my favorite things. Often when she’s fussy in the car, the best thing to do is to put on the Lisa Loeb/ Elizabeth Mitchell collaboration CD and crank up #7– “Stop and Go.” She used to get suuuper excited and start dancing and bouncing, but now she usually just smiles cheesily and stops fussing. That’s plenty to make it worth it.

We subscribe to a newsletter of sorts called Growing Child. We periodically get emails with an overview of what kinds of milestones we can expect and look for based on the age of our child, and suggestions for developmentally appropriate games and activities to encourage her further growth. Last night I read through the one year newsletter and started crying inexplicably. I was so overcome with love and pride and amazement at everything our child can do. She is right on track developmentally, and she is healthy and beautiful and funny and sweet. I am so proud of the person she is, and the person she’s becoming. I’m mostly happy with my performance as a mama, but with a healthy dose of “what can I do better?”

In her birthday suit (so to speak) from my mom:

I’m nervous about the coming year– walking, more talking, me starting school (again), job changes, etc. But mostly? Mostly I’m excited. I have no idea what this year might hold– but I’m ready. Bring it.