Happy Birthday Clare

Happy Birthday, Clare Noelle Morris!

Dear Clare,

Happy Birthday sweetheart! This is your first birthday, besides the day you were actually birthed. I can't believe how far you've come in just a year. I look back at pictures from a year ago, and can barely recognize you as the little dark haired newborn I cradled in one arm. Congrats on a wonderful first year of life.

I know it started out a little rough for both of us. Luckily my memory had blurred over most of the rocky times, but I know it wasn't very easy in the beginning. At least we shared those times together. I got my first I.V. at the age of 25 right before giving birth to you, and you got yours just 8 weeks later as a precautionary measure. But those weeks flew by, and our lives got better and better in each passing week.

I will never forget the first time you smiled at me or rolled over for the first time. You surprise me every week with the new things you learn. After months of playing with the ring stack toy by just ripping off the rings, you threw me for a loop a week ago when you actually put them back on. I beamed with pride like you just won the Nobel peace prize. I am your biggest cheerleader and hope to always be there to support you in all the other great things you will do. Each day, your personality shows more and more. So many people have told me that they've never seen such an expressive baby. It all started with the surprise face, then turned into the questioning stink eye, and now is the fake courtesy laugh. Your emotions can turn on a dime, and I swear we have even seen you laugh while you cry. You are so shy and reserved to people you don't know, but to see you squealing and laughing at home makes it all okay.

I have always told people that you are attached to my hip, but I'm afraid it is a two way street now. We spend almost every one of your waking moments together, from early morning feedings, to afternoon shopping trips, to nighttime baths. You are my constant companion. I can't even remember the days when I used to have privacy in the restroom.

Happy Birthday, my little ClareBear. Your Dad and I couldn't be more happy to have you in our lives, and we love you more than you'll ever know. I'll end this post with the song we customized for you. (sung to the hymn of the Micky Mouse Club Theme Song)

C - L - A

A, cause your adorable!

R - E - N

and pretty nice too!

O - E - L - L -E....

Clare Noelle - Clare Noelle

Clare Noelle - Clare Noelle

You never ever met a girl so swell - oh so swell

Clare Noelle - Clare Noelle

Clare Noelle - Clare Noelle

Of only good things does she smell - oh so sweet

Things I thought would never end....

The Hour Long Perm - Yes, I naturally have wavy hair, and yes, I still got perms as a kid. That chemical smell still brings me back. Sitting in the chair while every lock of hair was pulled, twirled, and coated with acids. They would always say that it's normal for your scalp to tingle, but it's more like a strong burning sensation.

Feelings for my teenage crush - Oh, the hours I wasted imagining holding his hand and where we would share our first kiss. Doodling our name over notebooks and trying to decode every conversation to see if he was secretly divulging his true feelings to me. Bl eh! That all ended when Kevin walked into my life. The crush went from Mr. Perfect to Mr. Wrong as I saw what I really needed in a husband in Kevin.

Pregnancy - While logically speaking, everyone knows that you physically can't be pregnant for forever. But every woman hits a point in their pregnancy when they look at their swollen, tired, stretched, exhausted body and wonder if there will ever be an end in sight. I never thought my body would recovery from the knock-out fight pregnancy put it through.

Sleeping for only 3 hours at a time - There is something that breaks your will and bends your sanity when you are kept from sleeping through the night for weeks on end. As any of my former roommates will tell you, there is nothing I value more in life than sleep. It tops the list of my priorities always. I will never forget the shock, excitement, and relief I felt when I woke up one morning to realize Clare has slept through the night for the first time! I literally woke up Kevin to ask him if he thought something was wrong with her.

Clare's fat rolls - Now that is one thing that I really wish would last forever. There is nothing more irresistible than those chunky little arms and thighs crawling around. Oh, dear!

Halloween: Now and Then

October 2008: 24 years old and enormously pregnant

(Please excuse the rubber gloves, I'm allergic to pumpkin goo. Weird, I know)

October 2009: 25 year old Mom to a nearly One Year Old

(I know I'm not in this photo. Like every other Mom, I'm the one taking the photos)

It is amazing how much your life can change in just a year. While last year, I knew everything in my life would be turned upside down once Clare arrived. I still had no idea how drastically different my life would end up. Looking through these pictures is like stepping back in time. Last year, I was swelling to an uncomfortable bursting point. I had trouble even just walking around to pick my pumpkin, and Kevin had to carry both of our pumpkins to the car. Thank goodness pregnancy is a temporary condition!

This year, I have a joyful and mobile little girl. Our days are filled with songs, toys, and pureed food. She is really getting to an age where it is fun to spend time with her. She laughs at my funny dances and loves to chase the dogs around the yard. For Halloween she was an adorable minnie mouse (thanks to some help from a Mom's Club Mom). No candy allowed yet, but Kevin and I were helpful enough to take care of any candy people would give her.

Next year with a nearly two year old, I can't wait to see what those pictures will look like. (Not to see what Clare looks like, but to make sure I look hot and and well kept.)