Life As A Martin: Happy Very First Birthday!

Just to warn you, I may be a rambling, emotional, chatterbox throughout this looooong post, but it is my only daughter's VERY FIRST BIRTHDAY and I can blog if I want to. (Can't you just hear that last part to the tune of "It's My Party and I'll Cry if I want to"?) lol

Anywho -

Today, March 26, 2009, we celebrate the first birthday of our only daughter, Ann Elise Martin.

To My Daughter,

As I write this letter to you, you sleep in the highchair next to me with a purple paci in that sweet little toothless mouth of yours, your pink heart bib cocked sideways around your sweet little rolled neck, in your turquoise shirt with the cutest pink pants hiked up to your knees and those sweet, kissable, size three bare feet dangling just a few inches shy of the foot rest, oh how I love those sweet little toes, at this very moment your hair is glistening in the kitchen light from having wiped your cheese stained hands through your hair, your precious green eyes are hidden behind your beautiful, long eyelashes that are closed ever so lightly and fluttering from time to time as you dream. I wonder what you must be dreaming of. Prince Charming perhaps.

You, my darling daughter, were prayed for for many years before you were ever conceived. Our desire to have another child was slowly turning into heartache as the months turned to years without a baby. I prayed and cried and often felt angry at God for putting this desire in my heart but leaving my arms empty. Looking back I can now understand a little better. God was preparing my heart for more. I grew closer to God during our struggle to conceive you and even more during the months of carrying you. God had the perfect plan in place for when you would come into our family...His plan. As you were growing inside of me, so very close to my heart, you helped me not only survive some of the hardest moments of my life but gave me hope, strength, and peace about all the not-so-peaceful things going on around me. Again, God's perfect timing.

You light up a room when you smile and you smile most all the time. You especially love your two big brothers. Anytime they come within sight you get so ecstatic and so do they. You are such a beautiful combination of Matthew and Corbin. You have shown them that God does answer prayers for they prayed for a baby sister and here you are.

You are already such a girly-girl. You are instantly attracted to anything pink, purple, shiny or shoes. You love, love, love to wear Mommy's necklaces. You love, love, love to wear squeaky shoes. And you love, love, love to steal Daddy's night time yogurt snack. (And Daddy loves, loves, loves to share it you.)

You are so independent and determined in everything you do. You have such a little temper when you don't get your way, which isn't often because you most often get your way.

You, my darling daughter, are the final piece to make our family whole. Both Daddy and I love you so very, very much and we thank God for our family every single day. As we close the first chapter of your life we await with such excitement on what this next chapter will tell and the many more to follow.

All my love,
Mommy

Now, for your viewing pleasure....PICTURES! Yea. Don't you just love pictures?