Friday, July 17, 2015

Happy first birthday Maya!

Wow, how did that happen? Maya turned 1 last week and I am still in a bit of disbelief .... our curious, smart, strong, beautiful, bold Maya has grown so much in the past year. It is really quite amazing! And a bit bittersweet if I am totally honest.

So here's to Maya:

Wow! I can't believe you are One year old already! You have officially entered toddlerhood, are more independent, and need me less .. Which makes me oh so proud and happy ... and at the same time comes with a twinge of 'my baby is growing up too fast' sadness. 

You love to walk - so proud of yourself you stop and clap when you walk particularly far or thru/over some harder obstacles! Love that you have that sense of self-esteem!


I love that you are a bit of a trickster - you have quite the sense of humor! For example, calling me 'dada' when you know very well how to say 'mama', just to get me going :)

Words, words, words! "hi", "thank you", "gentle", "pick up", "baby", "bird", "owl"  …  the list continues.  I am so impressed by your vocabulary already! I love that your most popular words are 'hi' and 'thank you'. and I love that you are super proud of yourself when you learn a new word :) 

Food - you love peaches, blueberries, watermelon, corn, potatoes, avocado, hamburger … and apparently cupcakes :) It is so fun to watch you explore new tastes, and I love that you always want to help me pick strawberries and blueberries straight from the garden (and into your mouth).
 
 
I love to watch you explore. You listen, you watch, and you absorb. Then you touch and taste … or  watch some more. You are quite the little studier!
It's been a great/crazy/fast/amazing year! I haven't even touched on the memories we've made or the learning and growing I have done as a parent and as a person because of you.  So thank you ... Thank you for the wonderful person you are! Happy first birthday Maya - may you have many many more!