Happy 1st Birthday, Belalu

On the day she was born

We made it. A rocky, sweet, anxious, joyful, frustrating wouldn't-change-it-for-anything year. Belalu  has made it interesting from the beginning. (Though that's another story for a different day).

One year old!

I have so much admiration for my baby girl. She is a force to be reckoned with, and even though that often makes things harder or more frustrating for her mama, at the same time I'm wanting to pull my hair out, I'm in awe of her tenacity. She knows what she wants, and she will not be deterred from getting it. It's this strength of hers that helped me take her diagnosis in stride when we first found out. I wasn't worried for her, because I knew she would be fine. Short stature will not prevent her from doing whatever it is she wants.

She has such a charming personality. Ah, if only I had half her ability to engage people. Almost from the start she would engage people in eye contact. It was intriguing. This tiny little thing would look at you and establish a connection with you. It was not the flirty make-you-drool-from-cuteness baby look. It was a direct, acknowledging-you-as-another-person look. And she still does this everywhere we go. We cannot be in public without Belalu turning the heads of everyone and leaving them all smiling. (I seriously wish I had this ability). This girl has a presence.

I love that she is different from everyone else. I am proud that I have a daughter who has been challenging my expectations from the first moment of her existence. She is an incredible person, and she's mine.

Here's to another year of discovery and learning for us both, my love!