"I Blinked".....................

I underestimated how hard this would be...............I underestimated how easy this would be.........




I underestimated what unconditional love really is.............

I underestimated the pure joy you would bring to our lives......

I underestimated a parent's need to protect their child and keep them safe.....

I underestimated the sweet smell of "stinky" feet..................

I underestimated the "unimportance" of putting on make-up everyday.......

I underestimated what it meant when people said "a baby changes everything".........

I underestimated the definition of "priorities".........

I underestimated how many times a mom can check on her sleeping baby.......

I underestimated a mother's love for her child...............

But mostly, I underestimated how fast 365 days REALLY does go by..........

Dear Delaney Catherine,

I must have BLINKED because here we are on your 1st birthday........365 days have gone by.........I know I have probably made 1,000 mistakes in the last year but one thing I do get right Every.Single.Day is making you my number one priority. Some would say I have an unhealthy obsession with keeping you safe, healthy and happy!!! For 35 years I lived without you and now I can't imagine a world without you in it. You make the sun shine brighter, you make music sing louder, you make EVERYTHING BETTER! I can't put into words how much you mean to me. You have made such an impact on the people who love you in just one short year! You are such a sweet and precious baby (in fact, I wanted to name you Precious but daddy said no!) I just knew you would be the sweetest thing! Before you were born, I would sit in your room (mainly because I couldn't get out of the rocker!) and try to imagine what it was going to be like to have a baby living in your room....and here you are!! (Although I was just sure you'd have dark hair and your daddy's big brown eyes!) I always knew when I had a baby I wanted to be a stay at home mom. I NEVER KNEW I would enjoy it as much as I do. I could just sit all day and watch you learn, play and discover. It is so fun to just "watch you"...you are such a curious little girl. I just know that you will grow up to be strong, confident and independent (but not so much that you don't always need your momma!)

I don't know what the next 365 days will bring but as Dr. Seuss says.."oh the places you will go". We are going to have so much fun together you just don't even know!!

Happy Birthday Delaney Catherine Newsom!!!!!




Here is what you are up to:

• I am not sure what you weigh because we don't go to your one year check up until March 28th but somewhere around 20 lbs

• Same goes for height

• You are being introduced to table food and you like pretty much everything I have given you except cottage cheese and mandarin oranges

• You are taking a few steps but not walking yet on your own (thank goodness!)

• You are a little motor mouth and talk NONSTOP--still trying to figure out where you get this from! ha ha ha

• When we are home, you are really good about taking daily naps and nap from about 1-3. And, as much as I love that you nap, I miss you so much when you are napping! I know it's just 2 hours but what can I say---I am pitiful I know!

• On a typical day you wake up around 9, take your morning bottle and cereal and then about 11:30 you eat something else, a banana or something small. You take another bottle at noon and then I try and put you down for your nap at 1. You get up at 3 (I think because you don't want to miss Dr. Phil) and take another bottle at 4 and then you have dinner at 5. You take another bottle about 7:30 and then go to bed at 9. However, you are such a flexible and "go with the flow" (you totally get this from your daddy and not your type "A" mommy) that if we are out and you don't get a nap or we are off on your eating routine, you pick up right where you left off. You are such an easy baby!!!




• You have started wearing your 12 months clothes





• You wear a size 3 shoe WHEN YOU KEEP THEM ON!!

• You say "da-da" NONSTOP and have said it for months---of course you have no desire to say "Momma"---I always knew you liked your daddy better! ha ha ha





• You wave "bye bye"




• You have started saying "night night"




• You have 4 top teeth and 4 bottom teeth and 2 bottom molars and 1 top molar is coming through. People can't believe how many teeth you have!