Tales of a Hummingbird: little darling is one today

thinking about where we were one year ago today brings such joy to my heart; we were just home from the birth center with our new little gal, snuggling in for the night. so much has happened in our one year - and every single second of that year has been magical with betsy in our lives. one look at your sweet sparkly eyes and sunshiney smile, betsy girl, and the whole world falls in love with you. not only are you simply a delight, but you are rough and tumble, you know what you want (and don't want!) and have a sly little lopsided grin to go with your sense of humor. at one year old, you are a fabulous sleeper - 6 to 6 and a 3 hour mid-day nap. you like to be snuggled up with your blankie and your little snuggle doll to sleep and pop your thumb in your mouth as you fall asleep with nary a protest. you still love your cuddle time with momma before and after naps and bedtime for some best-for-babes nourishment and i treasure that precious quiet one-on-one time that we steal for a few moments throughout the day. you are an enthusiastic foodie and love love love to gobble up finger food with your fingers - we were amazed at your manual dexterity - from the first try, you were a pro! you especially love avocado, fruit, yogurt, macaroni and pulled pork (i was surprised too) but seem to appreciate and enjoy all the new textures and flavors we present you. your enthusiasm for food also means you are m-e-s-s-y....and we have lots of wardrobe changes. you love to watch your brother do his thing but really like to sneak off into the corners of the house away from his action to explore your world without worrying about being crashed by a firetruck - and you've learned that when your loving brother is heading your way fast if you stick your arms out and shriek, momma will come running to your rescue. you often march to the beat of your own drum and your big brother is interested in your new discoveries. you can walk so well holding onto just a tiny finger for some help with your balance - and with your new stroller to hold onto, you can literally sprint across the house....until you crash into the couch in your way; haven't quite figured out how to steer yet. you greet everyone you meet with sparkly eyes and a three teeth smile - but every once in awhile a brief shy shadow will come over you and you'll turn into momma's shoulder to hide. you love to go out into the world and will love it even more once you've mastered mobility on your own two feet and are allowed to explore out of the stroller. you love our daily walks to the dog park and playground and are really excited about climbing up the stairs onto the playground so high up. you loved the rush of wind through your hair as you went fast down the slide and headed 'round to do it again! you don't have any "real" words yet, but you do chat to us a lot. you and your brother seem to have a secret language and love repeating shrieks and noises to each other at the dinner table. you two will be such grand friends once you can really play together! he absolutely adores you and even though he crashes his trucks into you and steals all the neatest toys from you the moment you finally get them in your little hands, he just wants your love and attention and thinks you are the best little sister.....and when he does crash into you or run you over or bounce the ball off of your strawberry blonde hair, he has started showing love and concern in response to your cries of distress saying "are you ok betsy?" and kissing the top of your head. one day it will be grand to have a tough but loving big brother out there on the playground with you, making sure you are ok, betsy. there are so many people who love you so much - we have a lovely group of friends in san diego who celebrated your birthday at the beach....and we have an amazing family who lives far away that loves loves loves you so! we sang happy birthday to you today and your grandma and grandpa nannen AND deedee and bumpah simpson were all watching and singing to you via skype. we are so thankful for such a great invention to allow our family to watch you grow and cherish the memories they make watching you in action, live! you are sleeping soundly now and i am so thankful, but sometimes i want to sneak into your room and scoop you up and rock you all night long. we took an airplane ride a few months ago and that was the first time since you were a baby that you had fallen asleep in my arms (we make sure you have naps in your crib as much as possible) and in that moment, looking down at you so peaceful and calm, i stopped to take a mental snapshot of that moment. i will carry it around in my heart always, the way you looked and the way i felt - so happy to have you there tucked into my heart watching you breath slowly, completely content. i have to take little snapshots of our moments together because time moves too quickly and life happens at a pace i can barely comprehend....yesterday you were a newborn in my arms and i was trying to remember how to care for an infant. and suddenly you were a giggling one year old toddler racing around the house pushing your baby in a stroller. i am equally afraid and excited that tomorrow i'll wake up and you'll be going to high school - i absolutely can't wait to see the type of lady you'll grow up to become and i can't wait to have all the memories between now and then on file in my heart - but i will forever cherish above all that little moment you and i spent snuggled into one another, happy and together. thank you for the blessings you bring to all of us every single day. and happy birthday, betsy girl! we love you!