Happy Birthday, Alyssum

My dearest Sweet Alyssum,

Well, we did it! We survived this first year together. Not only did we just survive, but we embraced this life together. I have to say that it was one of the hardest years of my life, but it was also by far the most rewarding. You have introduced me into motherhood and all of the joys and struggles that come with it. God has used you so much already to impact my life and help me grow. My biggest lesson so far came to me on the nights that you were so sick you couldn't sleep. The Lord taught me that as you relyed on me during that time I needed to rely on Him for strength, courage and hope. Not an easy lesson to learn, but I did!

You've also impacted me with your joy! I never thought that I could have so much joy with someone's smile and the sound of another's laughter, but you have given me that pleasure. Also watching your passion and zest for life has shown me how to see life in a new way. You are so full of energy that before you could crawl you would sit there and twirl your hands and feet at the same time. Now those twirls have moved into the rest of your body. Every time you here music or the word dance, you dance. You shake your hips and move your head side to side. It's amazing to see your own style already. You scream with excitement when we play and I can't wait to hear those shouts of joy as you get older.

You are also so full of strength. Even though you were so tiny at birth, somehow we knew that you weren't as fragile as you appeared. With all of the prophesy that God gave us about you before I was even pregnant, we felt like we already knew you. God knew you before the foundations of the Earth and He felt it appropriate to give us a glimpse into who you were before we had even met you. You are very much like another woman who's strength was known by all. It is your great grandmother who's name you've been given for your middle name. Your great grandmother, Angela, was also small and petite, but was also strong and passionate. One her biggest passions was love. She saw the love between your father and me and knew we had something special and told us to never stop loving each other. I am happy to say that your coming into our family has only made our love grow stronger and deeper. I pray that we continue to create an environment for you that will help you grow into the woman that God has created you to be. I pray that He shows us how to build up your strength and confidence in Him. I pray that you always feel our deepest love and respect.

Happy birthday, baby girl!!!

I love you,
Mama

P.S. Even though you are God's daughter, I feel incredibly blessed that He chose me to be your mom during this brief period on Earth!