Laney's longest hike yet!

My Baby is 1!

I can't believe it, but my baby girl is 1 year old! What a wonderful and blessed year it has been.  I have enjoyed every minute with her (yes, even the ones involving bodily fluids). I truly can't believe how quickly she's picking up on things.  If we set a comb in front of her, she'll pick it up and comb her hair.  For her birthday, she got a "Laney-sized" table and immediately she went and sat down on the bench like a little adult.  She knew just how to put her leg over the bench and get comfortable.  She now tries to put her clothes on herself (we're still working on that one) and she loves "brushing" her teeth with her bitty brush.

Nose to Nose with Mom :)

Of course, her first steps were a pretty cool moment, too.  Our fabulous nanny had assured us that if Laney tried to walk while we weren't there, she would kindly knock her down.  So sweet! Luckily, Peter and I were both playing with her when she decided to stand up and carry her bunny across the room.  Such a cool moment!

I can't put into words all that I've learned this year, but there are a few things that I think about often.

 I had never realized before, but babies just make people happy.  I am so impressed by how many people smile, wave, laugh, hold doors open and just show genuine kindness when Laney is around.  I can't imagine how wonderful the world would be if that was common practice.

Also, I am constantly reminding myself to just sit down and play.  It is so difficult for me to ignore the 100s of tasks calling my name, but I try very hard to spend any time I can just playing with the sweetest little toddler that I've ever seen.

The final thing that I think about often is trusting God.  From the moment I got pregnant, through the birth, through starting back at work to finding childcare and Peter getting a new job.  I have had so many truly compelling reasons to worry (and I have done more than my fair share of it).  I have learned so many times that God will take care of us and His plan has turned out even better than I imagined.