One year ago, I became the mother of a daughter. While this was technically, my second time becoming a mom, the experience was noticeably different. From the first moment I held her, I knew this beautiful, fierce little girl was going to challenge and inspire me in completely new ways.

It’s no secret that the majority of her first year was marked with tragedy. I know losing her big brother isn’t something she will ever remember. She also won’t know how much her presence has helped Dan and I through the grief process. Everyday, she gives me purpose.

She is a bright, happy baby, but she certainly knows how to demand attention. Her favorite past time is crawling through the house and looking for the most dangerous thing she can find to get herself into trouble (outlets, electronics, breakables, etc.). We have spent a good deal of time redecorating and childproofing so she can have some level of freedom without fear of catastrophe. The biggest part of that is a little play area we’ve set up in the living room. We basically tied off two ends of a hexagonal baby fence to the coffee table. Inside the table are baskets of toys. Her second-favorite past time is dumping the contents of these baskets on the floor.

I’m also happy to report that she’s not afraid of dirt! Like her brother, she loves playing in the sand and splashing in the water, but she’s much more bold about eating the sand.

Favorite past time #4 is terrorizing (I mean playing with) our dog Charlie. Charlie came into our lives from a very unstable position, and while she’s overcome a lot, I think she’ll always have a fear factor. Currently, she is about 75% afraid of Ella. I’m hoping that number will go down as Ella learns the meaning of the word “gentle.” Ella certainly loves the dog, but generally expresses her affection by pulling eyes, whiskers, fur and tail. Regardless of how much abuse she takes, Charlie keeps coming back for more.

She has also learned that feeding Charlie her dinner is a lot of fun; but, not as much fun as eating the food herself.

During playtime, I’ve also noticed that she likes to bang on things, like this little play drum she has. We may end up buying her some musical equipment in the future. I’m sure I’ll regret writing this later, but I love the idea of her getting into music … or really any hobby on her own. It’s all part of watching her become the person she’s going to be and that’s the beauty of watching your kids grow up. I’m so grateful for this first year and I pray for many more happy years to come!
We love you Ella Lorraine!