In honor of the the coming celebration this Saturday, I’d like to gather words of encouragement for Charity and Andy. Married folks, what advice did you receive as engaged folks/newlyweds that you really appreciate? OR what advice do you wish you had received?
One of the best things told to me came from Angie Arms who had gotten married three weeks before Jeremy and me. During our reception she came up to me and told me to freeze frame this moment… Take a deep breath, look around and remember what this moment looks like, she said. En route to her honeymoon, she and her husband Randy talked at length about the wedding ceremony and reception and their perceptions of the details that had occurred. I loved this advice and used it on June 13, 1998, to help Jeremy and I make even greater memories of our wedding day.
Today you are such a full little being. You have a joyful personality, sometimes mischievous and rascally, and other times open and wholeheartedly happy. You have become a hugger, a snuggler, a head-resting-on-my-shoulder kind of girl. And though your daddy likes my hair both long and short, I’m considering leaving it long just so your sweet baby fingers can wrap themselves in my locks. You and I have developed a beautiful mother-daughter bond. I love being your chief comforter. And even though I greatly cherish my sleep at night, I still enjoy those 5:30am feedings that come up when you’re sick. They’re a special moment for just you and I, rocking in the darkness, no words, just bottle slurps, and lots of love and warmth between our two bodies. Though you’ll always be our little girl, these baby moments won’t last forever, so we enjoy what we have right now. We can tell you’re already on your way to being a toddler. Sometimes you look like such a big kid already, sitting up tall in the grocery cart or highchair at a restaurant, attempting to walk with our help or playing in the church nursery, or simply talking on and on in your baby garble.
We celebrated your first birthday party with close friends and family one week before the big day. The party turned out to be one we’ll never forget. Despite my attempts to control the barbecue—from coordinating balloon colors to organizing platters of food to decorating pink cupcakes—I could not, no matter how hard I wanted to, control the weather. Under a beautiful sunny sky we all huddled at Antelope Park in 57 degree weather. The wind cut through layers of clothing and those without warm coats were fairly miserable. And yet, to their credit, all our friends and family members stayed to celebrate YOU! The only person in attendance not celebrating you was you. And why was that? You had been drugged by your mother. Some well-meaning doctor the day before prescribed pseudoephedrine for your cold—little did I know it would snow you over during your first birthday party! Poor thing, you were so tired you could hardly hold your head upright and would cry if anyone tried to talk to you. Fortunately, on your actual birthday we were able to present you with a piece of cake and you, in true one year old fashion, smeared it all over yourself. At any rate, you had a very memorable first birthday party.
A few weeks ago you blew your first kisses—I thought my heart would crack in two from the sweetness! You sent them to Grandma & Grandpa Tredway and Auntie Bean & Eric. They, too, thought it was amazing. As your parents we are privileged to oooh and aaah at all your sweet, special firsts. In no time at all we’ll be celebrating your first year of life outside the womb. We say special prayers of thanks for the birthmother who lovingly carried you for nine months, for the birthfamily that cherished you for a short time after you were born, and for all the special people who helped in our adoption process. We can’t imagine our lives without you! Livia, you are the most beautiful 11 month old. Your daddy and I love you like we’ve never loved anything before.