Happy Birthday, Ella!

My baby, Ella, is one year old today. The idea of having two children bewildered me throughout my pregnancy. DeLaynie and I were buddies, and I couldn't imagine having that kind of relationship with two people. Friends said that it wouldn't be that weird. I would love them equally, but differently. Then she came.

Her entrance into this world was just as uninteresting as any other. She wasn't pristine upon her arrival, but she was still lovely, just as all babies are, in their own way. She won the heart of her sister, but she didn't need to win anyone else's. We were hooked from the moment she grabbed the curtain that separated us from the doctors at work performing the C-section. (Yes, she physically grabbed it and tried to pull it down. That's my girl!)

She started growing right away...

And she hasn't slowed down since. (As she's grown bigger, she's also grown less patient with the stroller :).

The year has been incredibly fast, and incredibly sweet. I have watched my two daughters become two friends, and I have witnessed a tiny newborn grow into quite the big girl.

Ella, my darling baby, you are a treasure. God is working in you, and the results will be spectacular if you allow Him to be Potter, and you accept the wonderful position of clay. Although a part of me is anxious to see the results, most of my heart just wants to sit and watch it unfold. I am honored to be here for the journey, with all of the ups and downs that come with it. Never, ever doubt how much we, Mommy and Daddy, love you. Never question the love of your true Father, either. His plans are better than ours, and His ways are higher than ours. Trust Him, and He will make you into the woman that I long for you to become... just not too soon.