“Where’s your belly-button, Coco?” Grammy (Leann) has taught Coco to point to her belly-button. Granted, she does not always point directly to it, but she gets the general vicinity down every time. Strange to think that the 7 lb. 11 oz., gooey, trembling little body that they slapped on my stomach a year ago is the same precocious little toddler who proudly points to her belly-button today. I look at that belly-button in amazement, remembering the emotional tidal-wave that flooded over Matt and I as he cut her cord, and the care we gave to that belly button over the weeks, waiting for the last remnant of birth to fall away.
It’s been an incredible year for Matt and I. I’ve heard my Mom say multiple times that life really starts when you have kids. I totally agree. Matt and I had a special time before Cosette came into our lives, and I am so thankful that we were able to bond as a couple first, and share in some big things before she arrived. But both Matt and I find more joy in raising a child than in anything else in life. I know that since we’ve become parents we’ve enjoyed a deeper bond in marriage, and a greater appreciation for God’s creative nature. Before I became a Mom, I would hear Psalm 127:3-4 tossed around a lot. I thought “yah, yah, kids are a blessing,” and I knew they would be…But now those words: “Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” resonate in a deep and powerful way. I struggle to describe it, and I am sure I am not alone in that. How do we articulate something so innate?
All that to say–Happy Birthday to my beautiful little girl. You have given me so much joy each day of your life. I have learned that this love just grows, and so I am already overwhelmed at the prospect of what each year will bring! It seems that Daddy’s and my song “I love you more today than yesterday” will ring true for you as well. I really do love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow.
