If you want to see how my story plays out and don’t want to know where we are with Luna Bell today, the one year anniversary of her birth, then please don’t ready any further.

Seriously.

Stop

Reading!

I mean it!

Stop!

Can’t stop if you wanted to? I have your attention? You want to know all the details of today? Ok, but you were warned!

ONE YEAR LATER

As I sit here writing this, the house is quiet, my daughter and Kevin are sound asleep and I’m listening to the silence. I set an alarm tonight because I wanted to wake up and remember everything that happened a year ago and take in everything as it is tonight.

A year ago I was in a operating room and my daughter was being born. She wasn’t breathing. We were all so scared and in awe and had no idea what might happen next. Tonight, my year old daughter is sleeping here with us at home, unaware of the momentous nature of this exact moment. After months of not knowing if she would ever be well enough to come home, she was. And after months of us thinking that maybe she would never catch up to do all the things she needed to be doing by a year, she did. And after wondering if she was going to be ok-emotionally, she is. She is the happiest, most beautiful little girl. She is crawling, pulling herself up to stand- a lot- and with help taking a couple of steps. She has two bottom teeth almost all the way in and is working on one on the top. She learned to sit up and lay down by herself-at first with a little direction and then by practicing in her crib when she thought no one was looking (I was watching from work on the monitor app on my phone) and she is hitting all the goals we have been setting for her.

Again, I need to explain how happy she is! She giggles and smiles at everything and now, nearly everyone after she warms up to them. She loves her Dr. Martens that we bought her for her birthday. She loves toys and to start games of peek a boo. Of all the ways the beginning of our story could have ended, this is too good to be true. We thought that some things would come more quickly than then did, but with a baby-timelines are a myth. And some of the things she is doing, seemed like only a dream a few months ago.

I remember how protective I became during my pregnancy. Protective of my belly and the little one growing there. I became protective of who I allowed around me. And once she was born I became even more protective and cautious. I only want good, kind, loving people with good energy around her. And I want her to know how loved she is every day.

So here we are, one year later. My heart is full, and I couldn’t be more proud to be Luna Bell’s mommy. The adventure continues, but today is all about celebrating the miracle that is Luna Bell one year later.