lila

One year ago, I was in pretty hard labor. It was fast, much faster than my doula anticipated. She wanted to be born, now.

I remember sensing through the entire pregnancy that this baby would see her "due" date come and go, just so she could have an April birthday like her siblings. More than that, I had an idea of what day she was aiming for. And sure enough, she waited almost two weeks past "due", holding out for as long as she possibly could . . . 33 minutes earlier and she would have been a March baby.

But, she waited for midnight to pass. The third April baby. The April Fool's baby, who, like the first Joke in Narnia, would serve to enrich our lives.

I still cannot believe that tomorrow we celebrate her very first birthday. My, how time has flown.

It seems to go faster each time. She's toddling, months earlier than her siblings managed. She tries so hard to catch up to them. To be big enough to really play with them like she wants. To do all the things she sees them do.

It is exciting. But I've already been missing my baby for a few months. This little girl isn't much of one anymore.

Happy Birthday, my love.