Reflections on the first year

Yesterday was my sweet baby girls first birthday. She's the only girl, coming after 4 brothers, and is the last baby in the family. I struggle with that for many reasons, but my body couldn't take anymore, so I feel so very blessed that God chose to give me this perfect girl as my final child. She is wonderful in so many ways, challenging in others, but oh how I love her.

She has 4 teeth now, can sit up on her own-but chooses to sit on her knees instead of her booty much of the time. She loves to play patty cake on daddy's belly, and still has to be swaddled to sleep (not that she does much sleeping!). She tells me she's hungry by crawling in the kitchen and laughing at her high chair. She loves her brothers as fiercely as they love her, lighting up when they enter the room. As soon as she hears daddy's voice when he comes home from work, she takes off to him as fast as she can crawl, fussing until he picks her up. Bedtime is still for mama though, no one else can get her to sleep (a blessing and a curse!), and I cherish those times we snuggle together watching her sweet face in sleep.

Her skin is slightly better, although she's figured out that by laying on the carpet and wiggling her booty back and forth quickly she manages to itch her back a bit. She's not walking yet, but has been pulling up for a few weeks, and has started to clear off surfaces she can reach in her efforts to help mama (HA!). She's so beautiful, and so happy despite the misery of the constant itching I know she goes through.

Happy birthday my sweet Gennah! I'm so glad God let me be your mama!