Flora's First Birthday

My baby is officially no longer a baby,but a toddler. Flora has reached the big 1 year mark that is both inspiring and sad for this mommy. Yes, she is blossoming into her own self- a personality full of laughter and curiosity. A yearning for independence with every waddle like step she takes away from me to explore the world around her. I'm smiling just thinking of the little girl she is growing into. But I have to admit the amount of tears I've shed this past week is equivalent to the smiles. The baby phase of both her life and mine is gone. We all hear how brief that cherished baby time is, but I don't think moms fully understand just HOW brief,until they sing 'Happy Birthday' for the first time to the child they once carried inside them. Suddenly the once constant breastfeeding is missed along with the late night rocking. Knitted booties,bottles, and swaddling blankets....tripping over baby gear in the dark and packing a huge diaper bag  for a 5 minute outing. All these experiences are now only memories and its been a little hard for me to accept that this phase is now over in my life, and hers. 

Flora's birthday banner is still up in the kitchen. And I don't know how long i'm going to keep it up. Because it is the last thing I need to put away in the 'Flora's First Year' box before I close the lid and tuck it away... and i don't know if i'm ready to tuck it away just yet. So that banner will greet me every morning as I pour my coffee,until one day when my hubby quietly takes it down. But i'm sure by then, i'll be too busy chasing my running,giggling Flora around the house to notice.