Dear Abigail,
Oh my sweet girl. I can’t believe you are one year old today. It feels like just days ago I was in the hospital with you still tucked in my belly. It feels like just days ago I met you for the first time, your wiggly self placed on my chest, tears streaming down my face with the pure ecstasy of that moment with you. It feels like just days ago we brought you home, stepping inside our quiet little house that has never felt the same since because now it is the house we brought you home to. It’s unreal to me how those moments feel so close in my memory and yet they were a whole year ago.
You are growing so fast. You toddle around some now, but when you really want to get somewhere fast, you crawl. You’re a lightning-fast crawler, a girl on a mission. You love stuffed animals - some favorites being your Steffy bear, Nemo, Winnie the Pooh, and your meerkat. You also love to play with your Little People barn, putting the animals inside the barn and shutting the little white doors. Recently you’ve created your own little hidey-nook behind the chair in your room, and you take toys and books with you to play in your own little spot. A few days ago you took a small pillow with you and reclined against it after you set it down against the wall just the way you wanted. I can’t help but marvel at who you are.
Tonight, after you drifted off, I sat next to you and watched you sleep. I prayed over you, that you would grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Your daddy tells you every day that we love you and Jesus loves you. I don’t know how much I’m doing right with you, if I’m mothering you well, caring for you well, but as you sleep I try to memorize the length of your eyelashes, the gentle pattern of your breath, the curve of your ear. I try to memorize these things about you and I pray and it feels a bit like faithfulness.
I love you dearly, my sweet girl. I can’t believe you’re one year old. I can’t believe I’ve been loving you and mothering you for a full year. You are a gift to me beyond words and I am thankful for you. I love you and Jesus loves you.
Happy birthday Abigail.
Love,
Mom
Photo by the amazing Jenna L Richman Photography.