“Oh, it doesn’t bother me one bit.  I have a feisty one of my own at home.  She just turned one.”

These are the words I spoke to a mother of a patient of mine at work this week as her daughter fought me to get a blood pressure.  I have a little one, too.  A one year old.  WHAT!!??  How can this be?  Wasn’t I just waddling these halls and keeping close tabs on whether the bathroom was occupied?  Didn’t I just come back to work showing off iPhone pictures of my 3 month old little peanut sleeping sweetly in her swing??

I have a one year old.  Gulp.

I am officially part of that club.  That mommy, daddy, grandparent club that just wishes I could stop time and keep my baby wrapped up in the safety of her swaddle, spied on by her baby monitor at night, or better yet, sleeping and breathing sweet, rapid baby breaths in her basinete beside my bed.  Those days are long, long gone and my baby is turning into a little girl before my eyes.  She’s wearing tennis shoes and carrying balloons.  She’s pointing at things and calling them by name.  She’s walking, she’s climbing, she’s deciding to be afraid of vacuum cleaners.  She’s protesting being rocked to sleep at night and turning “bath, pj’s, book, and bedtime” into “play, laugh, escape, and be too-cute-to-be-mad-at time”.  Three days into turning one, she decides she doesn’t need a bottle, after all.  Right when I said “Oh, Clay, I just can’t wait until she can run into my arms and hug me”…she does.  She’s becoming a little person, rather than my fully dependent, immobile, squishy newborn baby.  I love every second, I dread the passing of every day.

My sweet, spunky, stubborn, curious, hilarious, adventurous, independent, beautiful Camryn Ray ~ you are the light of my life and my greatest surprise.  You motivate me, teach me, and crack me up constantly.  I remember trying to imagine what you would be like – who you would be like.  Well one thing is for sure.  You, at least, know who you are and what you want.  So small, and yet you already march to the beat of your own drum.  I already envy you.  The world is a better place because you are in it .  And oh, in case one day I tell you that the world doesn’t revolve around you (because I’m sure I will and, well, it doesn’t) – my world actually, does 😉  You are my best little friend, my favorite accessory.  I hesitate to say that I can’t wait to watch you grow up, because I am choked up at the thought of it.  You are simply a wonderful miracle that I never even knew to dream of: the very best parts of your daddy and me.  We love you to pieces, even down to your hilariously stinky, extra large baby feet.  I absolutely could not love you more.  Haven’t I told you that you, my love, are my most favorite thing?  Because you are.  Happy first birthday my forever first born.  No gift could ever be as great as the one you gave me one year ago.  Thank you for turning me into the person I’ve always wanted to be – YOUR mommy.

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To comemorate the weekend, we started with a few minutes of “playtime” outside before breakfast so mommy could get a few photos in before the party dress was destroyed by cake and Lord knows what else of sticky baby substances…

After mommy started knocking the holly berries out of your hand and mouth, you (smart one that you are) skipped the hands altogether and just went head first into the bushes to bite off one of those sparkly red berries.  Ouch?

And what better way to teach you how to celebrate birthdays than with a personal stack of pancakes, your very first birthday candle, and a practice round of “Happy birthday to you” sung by mommy and daddy.

Your favorite people (and little people) came over to wish you a happy day and showered you with lots of adorable clothes, much needed shoes for those crazy, stubborn feet, toys, and your favorite – BOOKS!

The cake smash was a hit…you knew exactly what to do with that cake, right up to when you decided (again) to just put your mouth where the food was…right on your table top.  You were one very sweet, sticky mess!

The next day, the weather took a turn and was beautiful enough for us to take you for your first time on the swingset.  You weren’t too sure about it at first, but your squeals and belly laughs that came after a few reassuring pushes and “Weeee!!!s” from mom and dad revealed that this would be our new favorite place this summer.

Your first week as a one-year-old.  You wore shoes the entire day for the very first time.  (Mommy did not.)

PS – you love “bu-oons”.  It’s the word of the week and it’s music to my ears.