Anna is ONE!

My little girl turned ONE year old today, at 10:31 this morning!

I am still in disbelief. It's hard for me to believe that an entire year has flown by so quickly. When did I ever get a chance to catch my breath? Have I been absorbing everything that she's been doing, every little change in personality, every milestone, and all those tender moments with her enough to move on? I don't have a choice! I remember the details of that day so well, and I can almost close my eyes and convince myself that I'm still in the hospital with a newborn Anna.

I don't remember feeling this emotional about the other kids' first birthdays. I've been trying to figure out why it's affecting me so much, and I think I've got it. Anna is really a miracle baby for me, an incredible blessing. Three miscarriages, so much anguish, and a mountain of "why?"s - wondering if I was ever going to be able to carry a baby to term again. She was the answer! The affirmation that all of those lost babies were indeed part of a larger plan for our family, and the reassurance that our suffering was only temporary. I want to freeze time and suck up every tiny little moment with her so I can enjoy this stage forever.

I know she's going to grow up, and it's really okay. She has turned into such an amazing little girl, and I know that there is so much more in store!

Anna is crawling (super FAST!), she can say Mama and Dada really well, and she's starting to try and pull up. She can't pull up well because she's pretty short, and seems to need more leverage to actually get to her feet (she can't use things like the couch, because they're too tall). She can do it, though!

Look at me, Mom!

I stood up by myself!

Ethan was helping her stand up the other day. I don't want him to do this when I'm not close by, because she's really wobbly and I don't want her to fall on the tile, but she loved holding her brother's hands!

She loves to brush her teeth!

And has a ton of fun in the swing!

She loves to spend time with her Daddy.

And she likes to reorganize the drawers in the kitchen.

Sometimes she's a little stinker!

Our sweet Anna Beth is such a joy to us all! We're really looking forward to celebrating her big day this weekend with friends and family, and I can't wait to see her face when she gets some birthday cake! You know there will be more pictures to come!

Happy birthday, baby girl! Your Mommy loves you more than you could ever imagine!