My birthday girl

Dear Leila,

This has been the craziest and most wonderful year of my life. You captured Mommy's heart just hours after you were born. I will love you forever.

Yes dear, of course I loved you before you were born!!! But this is the moment I will never forget.

It was 12:26 am on Wednesday, September 22nd when I first heard you cry. I remember you cried, but not what it sounded like. Honestly, I was still in shock from the previous day's events. The next three hours were a blur too. I knew you were a healthy baby and that was all that mattered.

Finally it was just you, me, and Daddy in our hospital room. Before the nurses left they asked if they should swaddle you and put you to sleep in the bassinet. I sweetly told them, "No thank you, she can sleep on me." There was no way I was going to put you down in that bassinet so far away (literally touching my bed).

That night you slept and I fell in love. As I was patting your little bottom it hit me...this was exactly what it felt like when I was patting my big pregnant belly the night before. I knew all along you liked to stick your butt up into the air, and here you were still doing it IN MY ARMS.

That was the moment I realized I could love more than I ever imagined.

Happy birthday baby! Mommy loves you!