365 days

My daughter turned one today. Technically, she turns one tonight at 10:57pm, but for all intensive purposes, she’s one as I write this.

It’s been the fastest year of my life. She is so big already and there are no signs of slowing. She took her first steps on Memorial Day. It will certainly be an even more memorable Memorial Day now.

Last night, my wife and I read her Happy Birthday Moon before we put her to bed for the night and I started to cry. It’s all just happening too damned fast. People say that all the time, but it is true. I don’t wish anything away. I hate catching my wife or myself say “I can’t wait until she can....” because it makes it seem as though we want her to grow up faster.

Her big party is in a week and a half. There are nearly 100 people coming. It’s going to be a zoo. We’re having a picnic in the park. I just hope she doesn’t feel too overwhelmed. She usually does well at parties and the like (she’s been to two weddings and several other parties), so we aren’t too worried about that. It will probably be more stressful for her mom and me than her.

Having a daughter has been great. The last 365 days have had a huge impact on me. I’m still trying not to freak out over the little things. I’m still trying to figure out how I’ll help her pay for college. I love reading her new books and trying to learn the words to new songs (current favorite: “The Wheels on the Bus”, which I didn’t have to learn).

I wish we had been able to do more. I wish we had videotaped more, wrote more in her baby book, took more pictures. Nonetheless, my little girl has finished her first of many trips around the sun.