The Sweetest Thing

Yesterday was Avery's first birthday. It's a pretty monumentous milestone when you stop to think about it. All the things she has accomplished in such a short time. Just one year ago she was just barely opening her eyes and couldn't see very well when she did. Now she has seen clearly the world before her. She could recognize only the sound of my voice. Now she recognizes the voices of her siblings before they enter a room and looks with anticipation when I tell her "daddy is home!!" She could only drink mother's milk. Now she can finger feed herself, drink from a sippy cup and is starting to use a fork. She couldn't do anything for herself. Now she can sit, stand, crawl and take steps. She cried whenever she needed something. Now she can communicate fully with her voice, her hands, her body--she definitely lets her opinions be known even though she speaks few words. Instead of sleeping all day she now sleeps all night. She has morphed from this tiny bundle into this beautiful being. She used to spend hours on my chest and now she goes for hours exploring the world and people around her. She has a smile for everyone and it is RARE that she is unhappy. Although we adored our family of 5 before, we feel our family of 6 is complete. Not a day goes by that Macie, Chase and Owen give her more hugs and kisses than she knows what to do with. Their hearts have grown immensely with this wonderful addition to our family and ours continue to grow with every minute that she blesses our lives. Happy Birthday Avery Claire, you really are the sweetest thing.