One

Sweetest Georgia -
I still see you and think of you as the baby, and perhaps always will (apologies in advance). I find it impossible to believe that you have been part of our lives for a full year, though the idea of you had been present for much longer. I won't say that you completed our family, because I feel our family was very special before, but you have added a certain something that makes everything, well, better.

You are, mostly, a delightful little girl. You were a terrific baby and, while I have only fleeting memories of your early days, I guess that is in part due to the fact that you weren't all that demanding. (Also certainly due to the sleep deprivation, however brief it was). I think you liked to snuggle more than your big sister did and, in fact, are coming around to it again - you know that we think it's cute, so you snuggle with us to get a big show of affection. Smart.

You are not very communicative with words - grunting of varying tones is your preference - but you are nonetheless quite expressive and can certainly get your point across. You do this snorty pig nose thing that is impossibly cute and it seems to mean "look at me and/or I like that". You sign "all done" (quite forcefully at times) and even use it when I ask you if it's time for night-night ... yes, darling, I too feel that way at the end of the day. You have started to sign "milk" and "more" and "please" and there is nothing greater than the big smile on your face when I cheer you on for doing it correctly. You use a "thhhh" sound for "paci" and I watched you this morning with not one, but TWO, pacifiers in your bed and your excitement could hardly be contained. I hope you are always as easy to please.

On the whole, I think you are a better sleeper than Ellen ways, or perhaps I just worry about it less. You do tend to sleep later in the morning (hallelujah) and I love coming to get you in the morning: I turn on the light in your room, you squint your eyes through your mop of hair, adjusting to light from darkness. You then generally proceed to roll around in your bed with your dee-dee and animal friends, if Ellen has thrown them in. So happy. I pick you up and typically you stretch your arms to the ceiling and try to shimmy out of my arms, ready to start your day.

You are easily amused, but do not laugh at just anything. Kind of like me. It takes serious tickles or roughhousing (flopping on pillows is your favorite) to get a cute little laugh, or, really, any goofy thing that Ellen does. You can generally keep yourself busy with something, but from the time you could really crawl, you flock to some loose cords that you know you aren't supposed to touch. (Yes, we should just cover them up). You do it Every.Single.Day. You get close to them, catch my attention, and look at me with the most ornery grin. I worry about you as a teenager.

Though we spend more time with each other than anyone else, it warms my heart to see that Ellen is probably your favorite person. You can hear her from a mile away and you twist and contort your body in the most uncomfortable-appearing ways, just to get a peek at what she is up to. You like to play with her toys more than your own, of course, and she is kind and generous with you. I hope you are always so sweet to each other.

More and more you are at the age where I can see the wheels turning in your head as you figure things out. We have been going back and watching old videos of Ellen at your age and I just can't believe the changes that seem to happen so fast. I am eager for the next year - to learn more about your personality, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. What a gift to the three of us - to watch you grow up - we are so lucky.

I love you, sweet girl -
MaMa