happy 1st birthday, bean!

one year ago today, the hub and i sped off to the hospital with me in the midst of full-on hard labor. and a blissfully short (and reluctantly drug-free) 4-ish hours later, this warm, wiggly, wonderful life made her way into the world and changed our lives forever.

it is simply amazing that it's been a full year since that day - i still remember it in full detail, which isn't really all that difficult, i suppose, considering the magnitude of it all. i can still feel the excitement of meeting the bean for the first time, see the wonder and joy on the hub's face as he gazed at her in awe, taste the salty tears that rolled down my face.

and don't you worry - i'm fully aware that like most newborns, she looked a lot like someone's uncle morty right after she was born. she was all red and scrunchy and wrinkly, and she had a hairy little back and shoulders, like a little monkey. hee! but to us, she was just one of the most beautiful things we'd ever seen. she reminded me a lot of the teen when she was born. october 1st joined may 11th (the teen's birthday) and december 4th (the day i married the hub) on the list of the happiest days of my life.

yes, i am to' up from the flo' up in that pic. you shoot a 7+ pound being out of your bajinga and let's see how pretty you are at the end of it.

in one short year, the bean went from this:

to this:

she's crawling, walking, babbling, giggling, and changing every single day. she's a gorgeous (yes, i know i'm totally biased) little girl who makes us all smile, and she's one year old today! yay!