happy 1st birthday, kaya!

Throughout the past few days, I couldn’t help but remember all the events of one year ago- our last prenatal appointment, staying up all night with contractions, arriving at the hospital, the doctor breaking my water, breathing deeper than I ever have in my life to get through the pain, and finally, realizing that my labor and birth wasn’t going to go the way I had hoped when I ended up on Pitocin and with an epidural.

That physical and emotional pain was surpassed with greater amounts of love and joy than I ever thought imaginable from the very second I laid eyes on Kaya. In that moment, I knew I had never loved anyone so much, and I couldn’t fathom love being any more intense than it was right then._MG_4872

A year later, I can testify that there are no boundaries on true love. Our hearts keep growing and filling up with every smile, every cuddle, every kiss, and every new thing that she learns.

Happy Birthday, sweet girl. I’m so thankful for each and every day with you. You’ve helped me to see and love in a way I never could have done without you. You are the light of our lives._MG_9505

You might be a toddler now, but you will always be our “Baby Bird” (even when you leave the nest one day…)

Thank you for coming to join our little family. We love you more than words can say!

Happy First Birthday, Kaya!