Dear Baby

(A blurry account of Everly’s first carousel ride. She spent most of it crying out for mama and saying “all done!”)

Everly Veda,

My darling little two year old. Happy happy birthday to you!

I realize now why mamas everywhere on their children’s birthdays say reminiscing things like “On this day X number of years ago, I was bringing you into the world.” It’s because it will always feel like it was yesterday, whether you replace that X with 2 or 22 years. Every year on this day for the rest of my life, I will relive the power and emotion of that experience.

Truly it feels like just yesterday I was holding your tiny, pink body against mine. I was delirious with love and a little shock that all of those months of anticipation and planning had come and gone so fast. You have changed everything about me, little Dove. I move and act and think differently since you were first laid in my arms. I have more purpose behind my reasons and more motivation to my actions.

I have watched you grow from an infant, to a baby, to a toddler in what feels like a single breath and at every stage I have said “This is my favorite age” because they have all felt exactly so. You keep us laughing and guessing and entertained every single day. What a joy you are to your father and I as a daughter and to Arlo as a role model and big sister. 

I am so proud of your creativity and energy and the way you are already welcoming and engaging the world around you. You are so lovely in your smallness, in your brave spirit, and in the sweetness of your heart. Here’s to two years of this beautiful life, Everly Veda. On this very day two years past, in the last hours of the night, I was bringing you into the world - and it was the start of everything.

I can’t wait for the gift of this next year with you. and the one after that. and a lifetime of watching you become. The whole world is yours for the taking and I have no doubt that’s exactly what you’ll do.

I love you with my entire being,

Mama