one whole year

I would have written this on the 29th, but i was nursing a migraine.

one year ago Niamh was born.
one year ago i was a birthing goddess, a warrior.
one year ago i defied what so many had told me and did the "impossible" i gave birth to my 10 lb baby. at home. in the water. after a previous cesearian.
after a labor of just 4 hours from start to finish i had in my arms the baby that i pushed out with my own body.
I DID IT
then, there she was. the baby we had waited 40 weeks for.
all wet with birth. covered head to toe with thick white vernix.
roaring her little leo cry, quite unhappy to be out in the cold world, no longer squished up, warm inside my womb.
then we started our BFAR experience.
nursing non stop for the first few days, then starting to suppliment at the breast with donated milk through the Lact-Aid. that small simple tube and bag that saved our nursing relationship, and put the pounds on fast.
she started chunking up quick, gaining back the chubby cheeks she was born with, but lost after birth.
Her hair was dark, like mine, her eyes the color of te middle of kalamata olives. her little fingers and toes were perfect, and so tiny. little miniatures of her sisters hands.
she grew, and changed, her little face resembling a smaller and more feminine version of her daddys. and less and less like mine.
se started interacting with the world around her, falling in love with animals, especially the furry ones. she reached to touch, to feel, to learn.
she started rolling then sitting, then crawling.
she babbled, and cooed, giggled and squealed.
then she started talking, first dada, then mama, Ada for Addy, then puppuh turned to puppy, daga turned to doggy, she added book, and ball, kitty, up, britty, nana, more, papa, brownie, get down, no, and her language continues to grow and grow. she signs too, she signs please, milk, more, up, mama, and dog.
she is cruising around furniture, and is just starting to stand all by herself sometimes. she wants to walk, to move around, to be mobile. her crawl went from army crawl, on elbows and belly to a hands and knees fast scoot.
she is trying to play, interacting with the people in her life, calling the doggies and throwling balls for them to chase. she loves to sings and sign the itsy bitsy spider, and her current thrill is staying up til 3am.
Niamh is a beautiful, shining bright star. who makes everyone around her smile.
we love you Niamh.