One year ago, your nervous and excited parents checked into the hospital in preparation for your grand entrance into this world. At 12:32pm we were introduced to you and as we saw you with our own eyes and heard you cry for the first time, we knew our lives would never be the same.

We entered the hospital as a loving couple who enjoyed having fun and seeing the world. We hoped we would know what to do as we added “parenting” to our list of adventures. As we began to get to know you, we realized the parenting would come naturally with time and practice. What we were not prepared for was the intensity of the bond we felt with you instantaneously upon your arrival.

As adults, you hear many stories about the difficulty of raising a baby, about sleep deprivation, breast feeding, etc. We want you to know that while it was not always easy, we never for one moment considered it a chore. We have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the past year!

It has been incredible to witness your transformation from a little infant to the one-year-old little girl you are today.

Seeing your tiny head instinctively root in search of your milk source will always be etched into my memory. Because of the resemblance to a baby bird, we called you our little chickadee or “Chicky B” and the nickname has stuck. After a few months you could hold your head up. Then came fine motor skills in the form of little pinchers, rolling over, eating solids, crawling, standing and now walking. We witness a a segment of your evolution each and every day.

Even before you could lift your head up on your own, you have liked to be able to take in what is going on around you. Beginning with your first vantage point of the Baby Bjorn, you have demonstrated a sense of adventure and find great joy with seeing the world. And you do not miss a beat. We can tell you are smart and interested and interesting.

You have already been on multiple camping trips, stayed in various hotels, taken a trip on an airplane and if you count the time when you were still in my belly, you have visited two foreign countries. You have had a passport since you were six-weeks-old.

You taught the kids at daycare to dance to the beat and often get the entire table bobbing their heads up and down.

You bounce and bounce and bounce and create infectious smiles to everyone around you.

You have a fire in your eyes and a spring in your step. When you set your mind to something, you are going to achieve it.

Your favorite book is Pat the Bunny and you know how to pat the bunny, scratch daddy’s face, put your finger in mommy’s ring, smell the flowers and read Judy’s book about the bunny.

Ever since you have been able to roll over, you love to fall asleep with your light up seahorse.

Yesterday, you pointed to the duck in the Duck and Goose book. We still need to work on Goose.

Your favorite game without a doubt is peek-a-boo. You can go from totally upset to bouncing with happiness with the commencement of a game of peek-a-boo. Peek-a-boo barn on the iPhone is just as good as real life peek-a-boo and can keep you entertained for at least ten minutes and also incented you to both crawl and walk.

As you become more interactive each day, you also become a little more independent. We are supportive and encouraging of this even though we sometimes miss when we were your whole world.

You have no shortage of people to love and support you with two parents, four grandparents, three aunts and an uncle as well as many many others who love you intensely.

In our wildest dreams, your father and I could never have imagined how deeply we would fall in love with you. You make our already bright lives even brighter.

Happy Birthday Belén Rose! Our adventures together have only yet begun.

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