In One Year...

Instead of my usual virtual Letter to Lily on a Milestone Day, I've decided to try something new. I have written our darling girl a letter highlighting our first year together, sharing anecdotes, comments on how much she has grown, what she has learned and the importance of all the knowledge she has acquired in the past 365 days. Someday, when she needs it, I'll give it to her. While I saved my words of wisdom (ha) for my little girl, I want to share here not what we have taught her, but what she has taught us in one year's time:

0. Patience. During a pregnancy which seemed to last a lifetime, we learned that patience is, indeed, a virtue. I did all I could to help this process along. I have learned that letting nature take its course is usually the best route. Not to mention the amount of Tylenol we save due to fewer frustration headaches!

1.It's OK to dance to a different beat. Before Lily, a "late night" meant a night out on the town with lots of people, and loud heavy back-beats. During the first month, the crowds of many became a crowd of four (the mommy/daddy/Lily/Mowgli gang) and the loud heavy back-beats became soft and steady melodies (ranging from Glee covers to Show Tunes). We've come to jam out to the theme song of Backyardigans just as easily as anything by Cascada.

2. There is something to celebrate in every day. Most people save their cheers and prayers for success for athletic events. We used to reserve these desperate pleas to the Heavens for when the Home Team was in dire need of a touchdown. In the second month, as Lily was learning to use all of the tools her new little body possesses, we found ourselves praying and cheering our hearts out for things like a meal swallowed and not brought back up; a whole four hours of sleep; a successful BM when our little angel was clearly uncomfortable with this part of the eating process. Go Lily! Go Lily! Go!

3. It's not what you say; it's how you say it. The third month brought babbling. And with babbling came smiles and frown and shame on you grimaces, among other facial expressions. While we couldn't tell what kind of little lady lingo Lily had picked up, we could match what she was saying up with her tone, which usually matched the expression on her face. She has cursed us to Hades and back for being late with the bottle, or rough with the diaper change or putting on a color of onesie which washed out her complexion (not possible) with a sharp huff and a scowl to scare a banshee. She has also shared with us her utmost form of content with the use of a soft sigh and a smile. She tells us what she wants us to know - even if we have no idea what she's talking about.

4. There is love, comfort and healing in water. In her fourth month, Lily went into fish mode visiting the pool, and later the beach. No matter what kind of day she had been having, she was always happy when flipping her feet in the water. Blowing bubbles and splashing around, she had us all singing excerpts from The Little Mermaid. I too, am well aware of the healing powers of water. A beach girl at heart, I find a kind of calm and quiet and security that I can't find anywhere else.

5. The next step is closer than you think. While it seemed like ages before our little one would ever put down the bottle, it was only a matter of weeks before she was ready to take the (12) steps to ditching the all-day, everyday habit and jumping on the solids wagon. Now she still starts and ends her day with a drink (and maybe one in the afternoon now and then - hey, this is the South) but the little lady at five months was not only ready to try new things out of a baby-food jar, but also anything that came off of mommy and daddy's plate! Just when you think there is no end in sight, you find a box of oatmeal.

6. It's OK to change up your personal style without changing who you are. By six months, Lily was growing like a weed and the time came when onsies just would not do on their own. Baby girl was ready for multi-piece outfits. She debuted her first pair of jeans this month, and hasn't worn a onsie (more than three times) since! Sometimes you need a change on the outside to reflect a change on the inside. And sometimes we as people just outgrow ourselves. Either way, you're going shopping.

7. Faith will always bring you home. This month, Lily was baptized in the Catholic Faith. Now, I was raised Catholic, but Jason was baptized Lutheran. Regardless, when we all gathered in the church and watched as our Lily became a member of the Christian community, we were all brought together under the umbrella of our faith. It is our shared faith in something greater than ourselves that makes each of us recognize our responsibility to this little girl. The responsibility of guiding her through life with gentle and steady hands. To help her become a kind and caring and compassionate citizen of the world. We might have come together with different views of the Christian faith, but it's the "faith" part that makes us a whole.

8. Our children will grow up. At eight months, Lily began courting. From simple meetings in the park to outings to the museum and an outright dinner date, Lily began to see what it is like to have to consider someone other than herself (***this to me, is what "growing up" is truly about!***). Through this early and limited socialization, Lily has learned to acknowledge others, respond and communicate with others, to share with others. This ability to connect with those around her will grow as she does. I can only hope, that one day, she will be the kind of person who will always consider others, but never forgets to consider herself, too.

9. Sometimes you just have to do it yourself. Up until the last week of the eighth month, Lily had relied on the grown-ups for transportation. If whatever she wanted was at a reasonable distance, she'd use her own roll-and-scoot maneuver to get to it. By the ninth month, baby girl was fed up and decided the time had come for some hands-and-knees crawling. She started off slow, but by the end of the first day baby girl was ready for the Talladega track.

10. Say what you need to say. Thank you, John Mayer. This month, Lily perfected the use of "Dada" and "Mama". Sometimes it really does make a difference who changes your diaper or hold you while you sleep. Lily began voicing her preference this month.

11. Sleep is precious. Lily has it in her head that there is a rockin' party, similar to those seen in pre-Lily days (see month one at the top of this list) which begins just after she falls asleep. In an attempt to catch us in our ragin' ways, Lily fights and sasses Mr. Sandman until the last possible second, making our usual 20-minute bedtime routine an hour to hour and a half event. Seriously, y'all, go to bed. It's a beautiful thing.

12. The best is yet to come. If these past twelve months have taught me nothing else, it's that the best is yet to come. Every day, this little lady has something new to share, a new lesson to learn, a new lesson to teach. Jason and I can't wait to learn more. We're taking notes, we're taking pictures, and we're taking as much time as we can to enjoy our Lily as she blooms.