Where did the year go??

I just can't stop thinking about how fast this year has gone... it is consuming my mind lately and I just need to write it all out. It honestly seems like yesterday that I was praying for my baby girl to come, although scared of how she would come out, I really wanted to meet her. I wanted to know what she looked like, how she would act, what kind of personality she would have, all those wonderful things that I have now found out. I can remember feeling so grumpy and huge... my belly hurt, my legs hurt, my back hurt... I just wanted to feel normal again. And here I am... almost one year later missing those times. Am I crazy?

I can remember jumping at every twinge I felt in last couple of weeks of my pregnancy... maybe this is labour! People would tell me, "Oh, You'll know labour" and I when I finally went into labour 3 days late I thought, "OHHHH!! THIS IS LABOUR!!" I can remember driving to the hospital while having contractions, getting set up in Rm 1, and what the whole labour was like. So scary and exciting at the same time. What I remember most is when Sommer finally came - that last push when they said, "It's a girl!" Instant Love! I looked at that squished little face, squinty eyes and thought "Gosh, she is so small!" 6 lbs 5 oz... perfect size. I remember her being in NICU and just dying to have her in my arms. Thinking that a mother needs her newborn with her and how hard it was for her to be down the hall from me. The first night together was long - but a bonding time. WOW... all these memories... precious moments that I will cherish forever.

Hard to believe that Sommer has so many firsts in her little life. I remember each one: first smile, first laugh, first roll, first crawl, first time nursing, first bottle, first baby food, first table food, first word, first time standing... so many. I have a wonderful book by my favorite author, Karen Kingsbury, called "Let Me Hold You A Little Longer" where she doesn't talk about all the firsts, rather she talks about all the lasts. It made me think last night when I was reading it... what about all the lasts Sommer and I have had. The last time she slept in a bassinet, the last time she swang in her swing, the last time she rode in a bucket carseat, the last time she nursed, the last time she was swaddled. WOW! I can honestly remember each 'last' we had... just shows how much she is growing up.

Sommer is a blessing to us and each day I thank God for her. We love our angel :)