Silliness is a grave business.

If you read the last couple posts, you might have noticed that today is my daughter's first birthday. My eldest and only (thus far).



I can think of lots of different things to say, but in the end, most of them fail me. She is truly a gift of grace; from the beginning of the pregnancy, when she brought light to a dark time for our family; to her safe birth amidst all kinds of risks and dangers; to the amazing person that she is now.

This is actually the next day, technically.

Even when she was a newborn, that was always something that surprised me, how little I felt like I had "a baby" or like I had become "a mother" in a generic sense -- I had her, Gracie (codename).

She was and is a very particular baby.

Sherlock Ducky the party hat.

She knows that silliness is a grave business.

Happy birthday, my love!