Somebody is ONE

Since we were in Chicago for the weekend we decided to head out to Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's on Sunday to celebrate Addison and Emmett's first birthdays. Emmett and Addison each got their own cake to devour. Addison was daintily putting it her mouth, Emmett was covered head to toe in blue frosting. Both babes were spoiled by their families and neighbors, and both were, without a doubt, EXHAUSTED by the end of the day.

It is almost unfathomable to me that this time last year I was laying in a hospital room trying to figure out how to work a new person, wondering where the hell the instruction manual was.

I cannot even pretend to know how to put into words how much my life has changed in the past year. I think I can speak for Andy as well when I say:

I never knew that one tiny little person could bring so much happiness.

I had no idea that I could talk at length about someone else's bowel movements, and not just to be gross or funny.

I never knew that without any words someone would be able to tell me, daily, exactly what they wanted or needed.

I didn't know that such little things could bring me so much joy: first smiles, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, first words.

I never thought that a big night out would end by 10 p.m.

I could go on and on about how wonderful it is to have Addison in our world. Her tiny toes, her ticklish tummy, her silly little laugh, the way she snuggles into my neck when she's tired or just waking up. Her goofy smile, her endless curiosity, the way she claps when she realizes we're going outside to play, her green bean face...really this could be paragraphs long.

Instead I'll say this: Our lives are bigger, better, more vibrant and so enriched with her, it's almost impossible to remember that at one point in time she wasn't part of our everyday.

Happy First Birthday my darling, hysterical, sweet daughter....Look how you've grown!

Addison July 2007

Addison July 2008