Charlotte is One!

Dear Charlotte,

Time is such a crazy thing. On one hand, this year flew by in the blink of any eye… it seems as though there’s no way a whole year has passed since that day we were in the hospital welcoming you into the world. On the other hand, I truly cannot remember life before- it feels as though we’ve known you forever and I can’t even believe there was a time (and not that long ago) when you didn’t exist…

You are this bright light in our lives and you illuminate our every day. You are curious and you have a drive to explore everything around you. You are cautiously adventurous and start each new exploration slowly, but surely. You are so sweet and love to snuggle when you’re sleepy. You light up so beautifully when you have room to run and I can’t think of anything you love more than running around in the grass with us.

Your first word was “dog.” You still don’t speak a lot, but you almost always exclaim “daagh” when you see a dog nearby. A few days ago you said “hi” as you waved to me – it made my heart stop for a moment as I realized soon we will be able to have little conversations and I’ll finally be able to ask you about things that are on your mind.

You seek out other kids at the park and observe their every move just waiting for the day you’re big enough to join in on playing tag and building sand castles. You have turned into quite a social little girl and it’s so fun to watch you trying to connect with other kids your age. At just one year old, you are already so full of life, so eager to experience everything you can, and we love being there by your side to experience everything with you through your new eyes.

You were born on May 1st and for the past 12 months, on the first of every month, I have taken portraits of you with the goal of compiling them all to see how you grew and changed each month. I stare at these photos in amazement that you were once so very tiny, and though I sometimes miss those early days of your life because they went by so quickly, I’m so excited to continue to witness you grow and learn and explore each new day.

The day you came into this world you gave our lives new meaning and allowed us to a feel a deeper love than we had ever felt before. You are our everything and we love you more than words can say. Happy birthday, my sweet angel.