Dear Mieke Jean,
Today you are one year old!
How we got here this fast completely baffles me and, even as a mama for the third time, I’m amazed by just how fast time flies. It feels like just yesterday that Daddy came back from Korea, and we were anxiously awaiting your arrival, hoping you’d come sooner than later. Daddy knew he’d have a limited amount of time with you before he had to redeploy, and we wanted to soak up every second. You cooperated – mostly – and after 37 hours of labor, you, our precious little bean, arrived.
Mieke, you have a lot of nicknames in this house; sugar bean, little miss muffett, hambone, sushi, jambon, chonk, muffaletta, taco biscuit, turkey bacon, princess pumpernickel. Yes, most of them have to do with food. It’s because you’re absolutely delicious, and mama loves to nibble those yummy rolls all day every day. You love to giggle, love to be in the thick of it, and are happiest when Daddy sees you first thing in the morning. You almost always wake up smiling, and our morning coffee cuddles are the absolute best.
Little miss, you constantly amaze us with your big personality You know what you want, and you go for it. You’re bold. You’re stubborn. You are sweet and affectionate, but you’re also incredibly discerning. You know what you don’t want, and you make sure we know it. You’re sassy, funny, sugary, spicy, loving, affectionate, and oh-so fun, and you definitely keep us guessing. While you’re days from walking, you have absolutely no teeth, and I can’t lie – I love it. I’ll take that gummy smile all day every day. And, while this isn’t the way we wanted to celebrate your first birthday, and the COVID-19 pandemic has locked us down solely as a family, I’m grateful that we get to spend this entire day with you.
Today, on your first birthday, I want you to know how very special you are, and how I believe your blend of sugar and spice will serve you well in life. I am so proud to be your mama, and though I’m sad your first year went so fast, I am so excited to see what the next year has in store for us. I’m sure you’ll keep us on your toes! 😉
Happy birthday, my beautiful girl!
Love,
Mama
