Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Girl!

Here we are baby, on the eve of your 1st birthday in the world of mortals...

It is 10pm as I write this, August 26th. This time last year, we had been in the hospital an hour by now, up to my 23rd hour of labour (4 more to come)...you were on your way, at last!

You take after your father in the sense of being punctual, you arrived on your due date, the 27th of August at 2:06am. But then...you take after your dad in many, many wonderful ways.

What a whirlwind year for all three of us! You, learning so many things about this world and adjusting to being in it. Your dad and I...we dove right in the middle of this ocean and began the lifelong journey of learning how to swim....I guess that's one analogy we could use for feeling our way through this vast experience of parenthood.

It was bloody hard, I won't lie. Being a new mum is the hardest thing I have ever fumbled through.I really had to dig deep to stumble through these past 12 months. I still fumble, but not as desperately and hormone-souped up. You turned our worlds upside down, inside out and handed it back to us profoundly different, in your tiny clenched baby fist.

I fell in love with you in the deepest, most primal way my mind and heart cannot fully grasp and never will...but my soul smiles and quietly whispers this love was always there, waiting...

I crave you, my arms physically crave to hold you whenever I am away from you for any longer than an hour. As soon as I see you, after an absence, you cuddle into me like a koala bear and I just hold you and bury my nose into your sweet smelling hair for the longest time and breathe you in.

It is a wonder to me, whenever I learn something new about you, as I watch your personality unfold like the petals of a flower opening to the morning sun. I have learned you are a very strong-willed little girl; watching you go for something you want or need with this fierce determination is quite something. You won't stop until you have it either, no matter how high up it is or how much we try to divert your attention. Stubborness too...is something you have inherited from both your dad and I. As much as it frustrates me sometimes...like when you outright refuse to sleep overnight in your own bed, demanding for hours to go into ours to sleep...I love that you have this strong will and stubborness. I believe, if you hold onto it, it will stand you in good stead in this world and in your life ahead. Just remember to temper it with good will and flexibility too, my sweetheart.

Be like an oak tree but remember to recognize when to bend a little with strong winds, lest they snap your branches.

We also learnt you have a wicked sense of humour. Cultivate that too baby, you'll need that in spades also, in this world.

Your smile....ohhhh your smile! That is your best feature. You'd light up the darkest corners of the Amazon jungle with that smile of yours.

This year you have learnt to clap, to crawl and, just a week ago, to pull yourself to standing. You have only stood up twice so far and your dad is YET to see it..so make sure you throw him a bone sometime soon and give him your 'stand-up' routine, ok?

You also took your first trip on a plane overseas! To Hawaii, no less, where you met you uncles and aunt for the first time and got to spend more time with Armah and Poppa. They hadn't seen you since you were born!

It was in Hawaii that you were present when your dad and I got married finally. We were all set to get married in May 2007 but you decided it was an event you didn't wanna miss so you made your impending presence felt and we agreed it was better to postpone the wedding until July of this year, with you present. It was a nice touch that you slept through the ceremony, however, it garnered a smirk from me *wink*.

You were the belle of the ball on that day and I didn't mind one bit that you stole the show. You, in your ivory 'puffball' tulle dress was cuteness personified.

I wish for you so many things...too many to type out here now. In your life ahead, I wish you fortitude.

I wish you many true loved friends.

I wish you a sparkling magical childhood wrapped in laughter, daisies, sparkles, lessons and innocence.

I wish you adventures.

I wish you strength of heart and body.

I wish you health.

I wish you self respect.

I wish you many travels in this wide world. Friends in every land you journey through.

I wish you great love, whether it be with one person or a few.

I wish you cleansing tears followed by smiles. As much as I want to shield you from hurt, it is unavoidable in this life and it strengthens us and teaches us. May you get through the storms and rainfall with your head held high.

I wish you success, no matter how many setbacks line the path to it. No matter what it is you pursue.

I wish you beauty. May you see it even in the least obvious places as well as the obvious.

I wish you wisdom. It takes a long time to acquire and not everyone holds it. Soak it up.

I wish you peace. In the world around you and in your heart.

I wish you compassion for other living beings, whether they be human, animal, bird, fish, reptile...

I wish you hope and dreams. For, without these, life is grey.

I wish you so much more...I could go on and on...I want to thank you for choosing me to be your mummy and for blessing my existance in uncountable ways.

I wish you a happy 1st birthday baby-girl, my heart!