Sweet child of mine, how are you a year old? It seems like just yesterday I jumped onto the bed while your dad was still sleeping holding a positive pregnancy test! I cried and prayed, we laughed and praised God, and so the journey began. Only a month after finding out we were expecting came lots of tears, anxieties, and ultimately, total reliance on God. Two months later I was down an ovary and a fallopian tube but filled with so much peace that YOU were okay, your tiny heart was still beating with mine and we could finally continue on this journey to meet you just 6 months later! Wow, it’s still so emotional thinking back on those scary months filled with so many unknowns and seeing how God so graciously brought us through that stronger than ever.

You were kind to me in those 9 months of pregnancy…I wasn’t sick at all! In fact, you were SO good to me that I got to enjoy over 50 egg rolls during my pregnancy with you and around 10lbs of Sarris chocolate covered pretzels – thank you for those wonderful cravings.

The contractions, tears, numbness, pain, joy, and relief that came with your crazy arrival are still so real and recent in my mind. What a year it has been…From your first little grin to your first steps and every precious moment in between, we couldn’t be more thankful for the joy you bring to our lives every day! But most of all this year, we came to appreciate what a miracle it was for God to bless us with a baby and what an incredible and awesome responsibility it is to raise you, teach you, and love you the way God has called us to!

You are already such a big little girl! You’re smart, independent, loving, silly and such an incredible joy to us! We cannot believe you are no longer our baby, but our little toddler! I have a sneaking suspicion that we will be learning even more this year than last! (Thank you Jesus in advance for your grace as we navigate these toddler years!)

Emily, we couldn’t be more proud to be your parents, and we cannot wait to see what this next year brings! Happy first birthday to our little peanut! Goodness, we love you SO much!

Here are some of our favorites from her cake smash photo session by Amy Wilson Photography!

Stay tuned for her birthday celebration photos on the blog tomorrow!