Dear Mara... On your First Birthday

Dear Mara,
It is so cliche to say... but I can't believe how fast the year has gone! One, already!
This has been a neat year.... thank you for morphing us into a family of four.
At this one year mark, we are beginning to see your personality peek through and I am excited to report that I think we have one fun girl on our hands.

Your smile is quick and contagious. You have a great disposition ... you like a good meal every few hours, you enjoy a good nap, you like a nice diaper change and as long as we throw in some good snuggles in between... you are one happy kiddo. 

You are cruisin' around furniture and have even taken one bold step but that's about it in the walking department. I am hoping you hold off until after our camping trip in two weeks... the thought of chasing you around a campsite makes me want to take a big snooze. 

Not sure what your official weight and height is at exactly one year but according to our home scale, you are just about 17 lbs. Petite, like your sis. 
Three teeth are in (one of them is a snaggle - tooth which is kinda weird), but I think about five more are on their way based on how you knaw on your pacifier like a dog knaws on a bone. 

Mara LeeAnn, you are a lovely addition to our family.
You are the perfect fourth member and you are my favorite second daughter.

I love, love, LOVE you my baby girl so big. 
X0X0
Mama

P.s. I insisted that your dad and I take a photo with just you on your first birthday. We have one with your sister on her first birthday, too. The second kid always gets "jipped" on something (and believe me, you already have which you will notice when you look back at photos of your sister's extravagant first birthday and then... ahem... at photos of yours... sorry, honey!) but I thought this would be one tradition I would try to continue. Hey, it's the least I can do. X0X0