The Countdown to One...

With only one week until our little Roo turns one, I decided to take a few minutes while things are still relatively calm to let Roo know just how much joy she has brought into our lives over the past year...

Little Roo,
On this day, you are exactly one week away from turning ONE! I can't believe how quickly this year has passed. The sleepless nights, discomforts of nursing, and new baby anxieties are all a blur. Believe it or not, they passed much too quickly for your mommy! Before you were born I questioned if I would be able to love another baby the way that I love your BIG BROTHER! From the instant you made your grand entrance into this world, God opened my heart even wider and poured an unmeasurable amount of love into it just for you. I will never be able to tell you in words the feeling I felt when I held you in my arms for the very first time, but I pray that God will bless you with the same "feeling" on the day when you are to become a mommy.

When your doctor came in to speak with Mommy and Daddy after examining you in the hospital, he told us that you received three angel kisses before birth. You had one each eye and one right in the middle of your forehead. An angel kissed each of your eyes so that you may SEE the "good" in the world and your head so that you THINK of others and KNOW how much God and your family love you!

After our brief stay in the hospital, we brought you home and our family felt "complete". Carson was a terrific BIG BROTHER despite the fact that he was a little jealous for a few days. I can remember singing "You are My Sunshine" to you one day while we were rocking in your room. A very confused four-year-old boy soon walked into the room and said, "Mommy, I thought I was your sunshine!" So, for awhile you became my Moonbeam! You grew physically and developed your sweet little personality with each new day. I will be forever grateful for the nine weeks I was able to spend at home with you. We would enjoy "girl" time while brother was away at school. Don't tell Daddy, but we spent lots of time napping and cuddling when Mommy should have been cleaning, doing laundry, or cooking. It was so hard for Mommy to leave you and return to work. I knew you were in great hands each day with either Bobbie, Aunt Karen, Daddy, Aunt Lizzie, or Grammy, but I missed you terribly!

Summer vacation arrived about six weeks after I had to return to work. I was so excited to be a stay-at-home Mommy again. We had a BLAST. Carson, you, and I would sleep in, stay in our pajamas until noon, play outside, have photo sessions, visit the library, nap, etc. with no other cares in the world! You visited the beach for the very first time, but did NOT like it at all. You and Mommy spent most of our time in the condo! I think you had your bathing suit on a total of ten minutes during our five day stay at the beach!

In the fall Mommy had to return to work, but you were blessed with the presence each day of Mommy #2- Rose Marie. You developed a special bond with Rose Marie during the several months that she cared for you while Mommy and Daddy worked. Unfortunately, Rose Marie wasn't able to stay with us as long as Mommy would have liked. I pray that throughout the years, Rose Marie will still be apart of your life. She is such an amazing person.

Toward the end of your first year was very difficult for our family. You began going to daycare at the very beginning of December. You never really adjusted to the new environment. Mommy's heart broke into a million pieces each day when I had to leave you crying and when I had to pick you up still crying! You also became a very SICK little girl. We made many trips to the pediatrician and even ended up spending a few days in the hospital. After much prayer, God opened a new door for you. Amy Wilson, a friend of Mommy's, offered to take care of you while Mommy worked. It was such a blessing for you and your mommy. You loved going to Amy's to play with Clara. I never dropped you off crying, nor did I pick you up crying.

Well, that's it...your first year condensed in just a few words. No words could begin to express how my heart melts when I think of your Cabbage Patch Baby resemblances, your big Cassidy ears, the way Mommy's terrible singing can soothe you instantly, the way you say "MaaaMaaaMaaa" when you are hungry, the LOVE that you have for Carson, your crazy looking toes, the way we cuddle, the lightning speed crawling that you do, the way you clap your sweet hands, the faces you make when you eat something that you don't like, and the way you wave Bye Bye!

Next week, your family and closest friends will gather to celebrate your first year of life and you will FINALLY get the taste of something sweet. That is if Brother hasn't already been sneaky and let you try one of his snacks!

Ella, I love you all the way to the moon...and back!