I guess it takes some of the pressure off that I have a nasty head cold – I’m all fuzzy headed ‘n stuff – so that’s a good excuse for not being entirely coherent or eloquent. Even if I was at full mental capacity, today would be a difficult day to accurately capture in prose.

Today is Kayliana’s first birthday. A year ago, this morning, Mike and I clutched my cellphone waiting for news. At 10:31, we received this text message from our Social Worker, Joy: “Baby girl was just born. I will give you the stats as soon as I know them. She is lovely.” And then at 11:15: “Pushed out in 1 hour 15 minutes  8.2lbs, 21 inches long. Beautiful baby girl ” That one was from Mia, the most phenomenal young woman – Kayliana’s birth mom. Mia later asked if I wanted to see a picture or just wait and see Kayli for the first time in person. Well, if you know anything about me, you know that I’m not one to want to wait on a surprise (yes, I found Christmas presents as a child and unwrapped them and attempted to rewrap them. Then practiced my look of surprise for Christmas morning…I’m sure my parents were on to me, though I thought I deserved an Oscar for my performance). Mia sent me a couple of photos including this one. I stared at it for a day and a half until we got to meet our daughter for the first time. I still feel, when staring at this picture that Kayli is gazing into my soul and burying herself deeper into my heart. Cheesy? Yes. True? Completely.

And oh my goodness, I could not wait to kiss those little chubby cheeks and that button nose! For the record: they are some of the sweetest little baby cheeks ever.