Where'd My Baby Go?

Exactly one year ago, I was lying in a hospital bed listening to air guns, hammers, and saws while trying to recover from a very complicated delivery. During our four day stay, Anna was the only one who got any sleep. Here's some well-meant advice to expecting moms - never choose a hospital that's in the process of remodeling their Women's Center if you actually want to rest and recover while you're there.

Yesterday was Anna's first birthday, as you can see from the posts below. I can't believe my baby is no longer a baby. She's developing quite the attitude. At a year old, she let's her older brothers and sister know when she's tired of playing with them - usually by growling or smacking them away. She's also a little chicken doodle when it comes to walking. She likes to let her older siblings hold her hands while she walks around or to use her walker but will she walk on her own? Oh no. She's too afraid to take those first steps. It's fun watching her take things out and put them back in like her toys from her rubbermaid bin or the plastic lids from the kitchen drawer. She'll amuse herself for quite a while taking them out, putting them back in, over and over again. Anna also enjoys music and dancing. She's a very cute dancer! While these are all things our other kids enjoyed around this age, Anna also has her own unique personality.

Anna is an observer. She watches other kids and adults, curious about what they're doing and watching for their reactions. She's not the bubbly, laughing comedian our other three kids have been. You really have to work to get a glimpse of Anna's pretty smile. I think Anna is going to be the one to keep the rest of her nutty family planted firmly on solid ground. She just seems to be that type of a person so far.

So, our youngest and last little one is a year old . . . and is just going to keep growing and getting bigger every day. Part of me is rather sad because I want to keep my little snuggle bug just the way she is forever . . . but another part can't wait to see what's in store for Anna as she grows and experiences more in life. I excited to learn about her passions, dreams, and talents. So I'll try to nudge away that bit of sadness and look forward to a bright and beautiful future for our baby girl!

Be sure to check out Anna's First Birthday album below. If you click the play button, it will play music and automatically turn the pages for you. I would recommend using the page turning arrows the first time through though as I've found using the play button doesn't give you enough time to read the text on each page. Enjoy!