An Open Letter to Emma for Your First Birthday

10:19 PM

Dear Emma,

My Twin B. You were the BEST surprise in the world. And last week, you turned One.

One full year has gone by since I first held you in my arms.

I fell head over heels in love with you from the moment I saw your tiny little face. I will never forget the mornings that we spent snuggled in the Big.Girl.Bed while Daddy was at work when we first brought you home. You were so warm and snuggly, and fell asleep so easily in my arms.

You still do to this day.

You are kind and sweet.

You are thoughtful.

You are cautiously curious.

Yet brave.

You love to jump on the couch and dance your pants off to HotDogHotDogHotDiggityDog. I swear you could be sleeping in the next town over, and if the Hot Dog song comes on, you come RUNNING with a huge smile on your face.

And oh, what a smile that is.

When you smile, the whole room lights up. When I come home from work each day, exhausted and worn down, seeing that "Mama you're home!" smile gives me the energy and the hope to get through to the end of the day. When I go to sleep at night, I have to fight the urge to wake you up to see your smile one more time before I close my eyes.

You love taking baths. I could never get sick of watching your little feet go faster than your body as you haul-ass to the bathroom after dinner, knowing that there's a tub full of warm water and bath toys waiting for you in the hallway.

You are so smart. You pick up gestures and words faster than any other one year old I know!

And now that you know how to "give kisses", I can't get enough of your big, slobbery, wet kissies.

You love to tell us "where is Tidy!"

You love to clap for yourself when you're proud of an accomplishment, or when Daddy comes in the room.

You love to look at yourself in the mirror.

You also really love ripping things out of your sister's hands and making her cry. Haven't quite figured that one out yet...

I am the luckiest lady in the world to be your Mama, and I hope that I can spend every day of the rest of my life living up to the Mama you deserve. You have changed me in a way that I never knew was possible. As I tell you every night before I lay you down in your crib, You are the BEST thing I have ever done in my life, even if we didn't expect you.

I guess it's true that it's always the littlest surprises that mean the most.

I love you with all of my heart, Little Mama.

Love Always,

Your Mama