Birthday.

Tomorrow Clara Jane will be one year old.  It's been an amazing year of firsts.

Not only did Gerald and I get to be parents for the first time, Skip and Susan and Debbie are first time grandparents, and Samantha, Becky and  Margaret are first time Aunts. Everyone gets to join in the  'firsts.'

Clara is constantly doing new things for the first time.  Smiling, clapping, waving, sitting up, crawling, cruising, laughing, being ticklish, babbling, playing, and most recently, standing on her own.

As the year went on Gerald and I got more sleep, and so did Clara. Watching her grow over the past year from a newborn into a sturdy little kid has been incredible.  I now understand what parents mean when they say: "there is no greater gift than your children."

There are many milestones for a baby, and for her parents.  One year.  That's pretty big.

Happy Birthday, Clara.