Two little, simple words that mean the entire world to me. My daughter.

1 year ago today, I met my daughter. I had been carrying around this little, rambunctious baby that I had no idea what she looked like… what she would act like… and the little girl she would one day become. All I knew was that she was mine… she was constantly wiggling around in my belly… and that I would give my life to keep her safe from harm.

It was Monday, Aug. 30th. I had a regular doctor’s appointment with my OB-GYN. My 38 week appointment, actually. I was going weekly at that point. For about a month, he had been telling me that she was going to be “a big one.” When he measured my belly that Monday morning, he told me she was definitely at 8lbs. Once he checked my cervix and found it was dilating and effaced… he said, “Are you ready to have your baby?” I, of course, said yes. I was ready to meet her months ago. So he walked into the other room to call L&D to schedule my induction… and, little did I know until he came back to tell me, it was for the very next morning.

So I went to tell Scott… he was in shock. I was in shock. All these months had passed, and finally… finally the day had came. So the next morning, we got up before the sun and headed to the hospital to meet our little baby girl.

Four hours and forty-four minutes after my pitocin started in my IV at 7am, out slid my baby girl, Sydney Jade. She was a perfect 8lbs. 6.5oz and 21” long. She was pink, wet, cold and hungry. Most importantly, she was mine. As our eyes met, I fell in love with her. She instantly became everything I wanted in life… and everything I would live for.

Over the last year, I’ve changed a million diapers and warmed a million bottles. I’ve had moments of happy tears when she would do something as small as giggle. I’ve had moments of sad tears… when she would accidentally pop herself in the head with a toy and cry. I’ve had tears of pain… for it’s not easy pushing a baby that big out. I’ve had tears of complete joy… the first moments she crawled. I’ve even had tears of helplessness… like the first nights she would just cry and cry and cry… and I couldn’t do anything to help. But I wouldn’t trade all those tears for anything in the world… for I wouldn’t have had a single one of them if it weren’t for my daughter.

As I step into the next year of her life, I am excited. I can’t wait to see the young woman she blooms into… the lives she will change… and the smiles she will make. She could never do another thing, and, yet, I’d be the happiest and proudest mother alive. I may not always do the right thing according to doctors and books, but I know in my heart that I’m doing the best thing for my daughter… I’m loving her. I know when she looks at me with those big blue eyes and smiles that I’m doing my job… whether I feed her peas and carrots for dinner… or chocolate cake.