And Then She Was 1

I have been an emotional trainwreck the past few days. Always on the verge of tears, eyes watering at the slightest thought of what was just around the corner- a complete basket case, that has been me. No, no one is terminally ill, everyone's healthy for the most part. We haven't had any major life changing events occur. Its just that my "baby"- let me emphasize, my last "baby"- is turning 1. Sniff, sniff. Now, I've made it through the first two girls 1st birthdays just fine. Its harder with Ayden Claire. For starters, the year has just flown by too fast! She has been way too good of a baby and not made it easy to accept that she's it for us. At least if she'd been colicky or fussy or horrible I might be saying, "Oh, thank goodness we are through!" But she's not colicky or fussy or horrible at all. She hardly cries- ever, and I mean that. (I am not bragging, I promise. I will be the first to tell you I have had a fussy, difficult, crying baby; although I won't tell you which one.)
Having Ayden Claire has just been such a joy. She has truly completed our family. I always said our family wasn't whole when we had Alyssa and Anniston. I really felt like we already had a third child, we just had not met him or her yet. Now I know it was Ayden Claire-Bear all along. She rounds out our family perfectly and makes three such a "nice even number" as Wes says.
I get emotional too, because as I celebrate the birth of our daughter, I think back to being in the hospital a year ago and getting a phone call that changed my entire family. My sister, Jennifer, was pregnant with a daughter also. Emerson Rose, and she was due about a week and half after me. Saturday night, the day after Ayden Claire was born, my hospital phone rang. Actually, it would really have been Sunday morning, very early. Jill, Kendra, and my mom were at my house with the girls and I knew they would not be calling at that hour unless something was wrong. And I was right. Emerson Rose had died before even making her appearance into this world. My beautiful little niece, and my dear sisters and her husbands baby girl was born a few days later. I did not get to see her, and I am forever saddened by that. I know that she was absolutely perfect and beautiful, too much so for this world. I learned something from Emerson, though. I have not taken one single second with Ayden Claire for granted. I have cherished them more and held her tighter and hugged her longer. I know Emerson touched so many lives, more than most people who live years on Earth. She continues to.
So while I am sad that this first year has come to an end, I am so incredibly thankful that we are able to celebrate her first year and many more to come, I pray. She has had quite a busy first year- her sisters softball games, carpool line at school, having lunch with Alyssa's first and second grade classes several times, dance recitals, swim meets and lots of grocery runs! And in Ayden Claire's spare time she's learned to pick up and eat Cheerios, sit, crawl, and walk, wave, kiss (my personal favorite!), patty cake, open the cabinets and rearrange them in a way that she prefers, take her hairbows out the instant I put them in, drink from a sippy cup, suck her thumb and so much more! She's had quite a year, and we've had quite a year with her. AC, thanks for making our family complete. I can barely remember our house without you in it, I am so grateful you are here. I love loving you!