365 days of sugar and spice

A year ago today, Tim and I drove separately, in the rain, to our doctor's office for my 18-week prenatal appointment ... and the "big" ultrasound. From early in my pregnancy, I had a feeling we were having a girl, but I'll never admit this again I've been wrong before, and with all of the boys in Tim's family, we were just as likely to be adding to the cause. Mother's instinct or the desire to inject some more estrogen in both my household (one husband, two male cats and little old female me) and my husband's family? I wasn't sure.

Elle's photo shoot.

It was easy to see - we were having a healthy baby girl! And all of a sudden, the next 22 weeks (well, 21.5) of my pregnancy took on a new slant. We shared the news - my side of the family was going to have another girl! (My sister-in-law was due with my niece and ended up giving birth exactly a month before me.) Tim's parents were going to have their first granddaughter! I made pink cupcakes. The baby shower decorations were pink. The nursery accents were flowers and butterflies. We no longer had to decide on the circumcision issue. The name was picked. I both excitedly anticipated and feared the mother/daughter relationship that lay ahead. (We've had fights, and I have no doubt we'll have more :))

And today, we have our sweet little seven-months-and-three-days-old girl. She's full of spunk, beauty and charm. In that ultrasound, I couldn't see the way her eyes smile. I couldn't hear her peals of laughter at the silliest things. I couldn't feel her soft, smooth skin.

Dark brown eyes, breath-taking eyelashes
and chubby thighs: Pure perfection.

 And I never imagined how absolutely perfect she'd be - once a glimpse on a big machine, a snapshot to take home and share with friends and family ... now a piece of my heart existing outside of my body.