One year!

one of our very first family pictures. A VERY fresh baby, tired mama and proud papa!

Our precious Bronwen Elaine is one year old today. It's hard to believe that a year ago at this time, I was in labour (to be very specific, I was probably in the bathtub of my hospital room working my way through each contraction as they got increasingly stronger!)

At 2:21 pm she came into this world... crying and pink and eyes wide open. "It's a girl!". Funny, I think that if they had said she was a boy I would have been surprised. By the end of my pregnancy I was mostly convinced that there was a girl in there.

a couple hours old.. cross eyed and pink and fresh!

On a child's first birthday, they don't really realize much about the fact, but I think that it is more of a milestone for the parents! The end of the first year of parenting. Of figuring out what to do with this little squishy lump you brought home from the hospital, gingerly strapping them into a car seat and having them be entirely your responsibility! Moving through sleep deprivation, hormonal roller coasters, figuring out breastfeeding and when the little human sleeps and eats and cries and poops. Going from only breastmilk to mushy fruits to whole pieces of beef! (a progression that happened pretty fast for our little gourmet, she even likes smoked oysters and pickled herring-- must be the Claus genes). Sneakily moving off her playmat to rolling over, sitting, crawling, standing, walking, almost-running!

It's been a wonderful year. Though I don't really get to sleep in anymore ever, though our house is often a mess, though we can't just go out spontaneously in an evening and everything just takes a lot longer... these things are so, so minor compared to the JOY that Bronwen brings to our lives. It is amazing to watch her grow and exhibit her unique little personality.. she is a little fireball sometimes! A little independent lady.

Bronwen, we are so blessed to be your mum and dad, and we are excited to keep going in this fun journey of raising you! Here's to your second year, and however many more God blesses us with you after that.