Happy Birthday, Caroline!

I've been a mother for one year now! The cliche is true. As hard as it is to imagine what being a parent is like and how you will fit a child into your life, once that child is here, you can't imagine life without her. I am surprised at how easily I've slipped into this new world. Sure, there have been rough patches, but looking back, the bad parts weren't bad at all. We survived the marathon nursing of the first months, the isolating loneliness of adjusting to being a full-time mom, teething, crawling, first steps. (yes, those happened this weekend!) I credit my sanity to the amazing village of mothers I have affiliated myself with. I can not imagine happily mothering without the amount of contact I have with other moms and Caroline has with other kids. Thanks for playgroups and internet groups, the isolating lonlieness of the earlier months has been replaced by an overbooked schedule! I have a sweet baby who gives me joy every day. I'm going to savor every minute of it.