ONE YEAR

One year ago today, the nurse put my brand new baby girl into my arms. She had just been all cleaned up and swaddled and brought back to me. I had been waiting for this moment - the moment you really fall in love with your baby. I smelled her sweet baby smell and looked down into her perfect yellow squashed up face - and had the strongest urge to vomit.

"I'm going to be sick," I announced to the nurse, and she snatched a little bag for me just in time.

Sam and I have had many a good laugh about that moment over the past year. I mean, I never once threw up when I was pregnant, but the second I wasn't pregnant any more and saw my cute baby was the moment my body chose to get nauseous? Who does that? Apparently it's a fairly common side effect of a medicine they give, but still, we always laugh when we think about it. I'm sure that story will do great things for Claire's self-esteem when she's older. ;)

But seriously, this past year has been indescribable. Motherhood is everything. It's pure bliss. It's pure exhaustion. It's easy on your marriage. It's hard on your marriage. It's wonderful and hard and lonely and meaningful and absolutely amazing. I think today is just as much a celebration of the parents for making it through the first year!

Every single night when I say a prayer with Claire before bed, I thank my Heavenly Father for sending her little spirit to our family. Her name means light in French, and she really is such a light to everyone. She is spunky and energetic and independent and so happy.

P.S. I've spent a good portion of the morning indulging my nostalgia and rereading all these posts about baby Claire (partial birth story here). You can find all her monthly updates and photos here:
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We love you, little Eclaire! We are so happy you are part of our family!