A Year with Precious Pemberley!

Pemberley, you are a little miracle. You came into this world bringing the biggest smile to my face, and it hasn’t left yet. I have loved every second of this year with you. Okay, except maybe the two-and-a-half-hour trip from Palm Springs where you screamed the whole trip.

Anyway, you are such a beautiful little soul. Nothing gets you down for long. It’s kind of like you have too much smiling to do to be bothered with staying upset about anything. Some highlights of the year for me have to be all our fun trips: you went to Sun Valley, Jackson Hole, Maui, Palm Springs, Anaheim, and San Diego.

I laugh now at the days when you were colicky and latched onto my nose just looking for anything you could suck on and then vomited on my face. I’m a fool because I let it happen about three times. I just thought it was so cute how you would suck my nose. I cherished being up all night with you nursing and rocking you. Listening to you coo.

You have loved music from the get-go. You get a favorite song and it’s the only thing that can calm you when you are upset. If I sing to you, you coo back at me in your sweet little voice. I’ve loved bringing you to church and hearing you coo along during worship. You bop up and down and clap your hands. When I sing “Amazing Grace” to you at night, you sing along.

I love the way you reach up and stroke my hair as you are nursing. Here you are, a year old and not sleeping through the night. I realize I should have let you cry it out long, long ago, but the truth is I kind of miss you in the night and am happy to get to see you.

I love the way you love your brother. In your eyes, he is the world’s greatest comedian. I also love the way he loves and protects you. In the morning, he can’t wait for you to get up and often he’ll make loud sounds outside your door hoping you will wake up. You guys are great friends. You crack each other up all day long.

You have also become great friends with Dixie. If she is in the room, you want to be right next to her. She just kisses you and you laugh and poke at her and pull her hair. You throw her ball for her and are so proud of this accomplishment. Dixie doesn’t quite know what to do because it goes about two inches away. Dixie is sooo protective of you. If someone comes in the house, she stands right next to you and doesn’t move.

You are standing on your own now. In fact, you love standing so much that I can’t get you to sit in your high chair. I pretty much have to hold your arm as you stand and attempt to eat my food with the spare. I made the mistake of ordering a hamburger the other day. It was not a graceful meal.

That first step is coming any second. You love waving hello and goodbye. You are a big-time water baby. You would stay in the water all day if you were allowed. I’ve had so much fun dressing you. My goodness, you are cute.

I just looked at the pics from the day you were born. It made me cry. I can see in my eyes and remember how I felt when I saw you. You were mine. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. I loved you before I knew you but fell head over heals that first glance. You are a great, great blessing to me, Pemberley. Happy Birthday, Sweet P. Thank you for a beautiful year filled with many smiles, giggles, and lots of cuddles.

Love,

Mamma