A letter to my baby girl...

My darling Clara,


Today you are one year old! I cannot believe how much time has flown by! It seems like just yesterday that we saw you for the first time! You were such a tiny little thing, except for your eyes, which were wide open with the wonder at the big and bright world around you. I’m sure you found the whole thing quite rude, but we were so happy to meet you!

So many things have happened since that day.

I remember the day you came home. It was cold and rainy. We had you bundled up nice and cozy, though. Mommy cried when we left the hospital. It was sort of scary taking you home, where we wouldn’t have the nurses to help us! But you were a good girl. You didn’t even cry in the car!

Your first couple nights at home were pretty rough. You didn’t like to sleep during the night; you only wanted to be up during the day. One of my favorite nights was when Daddy got up with you in the middle of the night while Mommy slept. I went out to the living room to see how you guys were doing and found you both asleep on the couch-you in the Boppy holding Daddy’s finger and Daddy fast asleep next to you. We both still wish we would have taken a picture.

Before we knew it there were lots of people who came to see you: Great-Grandma Abendroth, your Aunts and Uncles, and even some cousins. Soon it was Thanksgiving and we made the trip to Great-Grandma’s house to see the whole family and to celebrate. We put you in a special outfit and even took a picture. It was very special since it had all 4 generations of our family in it! We did the same with your Great-Grandpa Mueller, as well as Daddy and Grandpa Mark, too.

Weeks went by and you continued to grow right before our eyes! You even started smiling! Pretty soon it was Christmas and we had more special outfits and more celebrations. You got lots of new books and toys-including some special books from Auntie Steff that are written in Spanish! Daddy likes to read you those. Mommy isn’t too good at it. :)

The New Year also brought lots of new things. You got to come along as we celebrated birthdays. You got to see the seasons change from winter to spring. You got to see all the beautiful flowers come up in Grammy’s garden. You started eating finger foods and not just formula! You were really becoming quite the little person! On Mother’s Day, you and Daddy and I all went to the NEW Zoo. It was your first trip to the zoo and it was so beautiful outside! You actually had a pretty good time. Of course, you really like riding in the stroller. You even got to see a giraffe up close!

Before we knew it you were starting to crawl! We had to move some furniture downstairs and put things away so you wouldn’t hurt yourself. You spent most of your days exploring the house. You eventually figured out how to crawl from the living room into your room to find more toys. And it wasn’t long before you were pulling yourself up to standing. We knew it wouldn’t be long before you figured out how to walk!

You also started swimming lessons! Once you got used to the pool you really had a fun time. Mommy really had a good time, too, because it was time that you and I spent together. Mommy promises that we will get back into swimming lessons soon, too!

By 10 ½ months old, you had finally figured out how to walk. You sure surprised Mommy that day! You were by the couch and had Scooter’s bone. He took it away from you and you got mad. I’ll never forget how you just walked right over to Mommy in the recliner like you had been doing it forever! I got so excited I had to call Daddy over so he could see, too. Since then, you’ve been walking everywhere! Now you hardly ever crawl anymore! You even figured out how to stand back up when you fall down, even when there’s nothing nearby to pull up on.

You’re such an amazing little person. You’ve got a huge personality that you let shine through every day. You’re always expressing yourself in the most interesting ways. I’d love to see what’s going on in your mind. :) You eat regular food just like Mommy & Daddy. You love to spend time with your grandparents and sometimes get upset when the leave or when we pick you up from their house. You absolutely LOVE your puppy, Scooter and we hope you’ll feel the same way about your baby brother or sister when s/he comes along! I love to see your happy face in the mornings when I get you out of your crib. You’re truly a ray of sunshine. Your little voice on the monitor in the mornings makes my heart swell. I can’t believe that your Dad and I were blessed with such a wonderful little girl.

We hope you continue to learn about and explore the big world around you. Never be afraid to come to us for help, no matter how old you are. Stand up for what you believe in; don’t let other people push you around. Know that whatever happens and whatever you might get into down the road, that your Daddy and I will always love you-no matter what.

We hope you have lots of fun at your parties this weekend and we can’t wait to see what the next year of your life brings. It’s sure to be as fun as the first!

Love always,

Mommy & Daddy