6. whole. months.

I seriously cannot believe that my baby girl is half way to her first birthday. A day that I pray is filled with cake and balloons (somewhat deflated, just the way she likes them), party hats and sunshine, laughter and good friends. I cannot wait to let her soak in a warm bath tub with bubbles or take a dip in her pappy and gramma's pool on a hot summer day. I can't wait to let her get dirty and wash mud and peanut butter out of her hair. I truly took all of these things for granted with Heidi. Never again.

Nora has given me so many gifts in these 6 months. So many moments to look forward to and so many memories to look back on in such a short time. The thing I look forward to the most is watching her grow alongside her best friend, Heidi.

The two of them already have such a bond. I never expected to see it so early. I was holding Nora on the couch a few days ago and Heidi crawled up on my other side and snuggled in. Without a word, she touched Nora's face in a very gentle (very non-Heidi) way and smiled. Before I could catch my breath from the cuteness overload, Nora returned the exact gesture and emotion. It might sound trite- but it was, in fact, the most precious moment of my 32-year life. I'm sure there will be plenty more where it came from. I am also sure that there will be plenty of times they will want to kill each other over a broken toy or a borrowed sweater. But for now-I will soak in these moments as deeply as I can and pray that they never end.

 6 months.  26 weeks. 183 days. Cases of diapers. Countless bottles. Never ending loads of laundry. Smiles every day. Milestones met. Belly laughs and rolling over and over. She has made our family whole. She gives us light and love when times are not easy. She gave us sisters and bonds that will never break. She continues to give us hope. Our little Nora gives us everything and more. We are truly blessed beyond measure.

 

Round 3 starts on Tuesday. Prayers are welcomed and appreciated!

Side note: My Relay for Life team's annual dance is tomorrow. This will be our 16th year doing this fundraiser. 240 tickets oversold in 8 days. To say it is a huge success would be an understatement. The dance continues to be one of my favorite nights of the year for many reasons. It is always emotional and powerful, sad and wonderful all at the same time. This year, my little superhero will make it onto the big screen. Hoping I can hold it together and be strong just like Nora. See? I am still learning what has taken her only 2 months to master.

Here's a link to my original blog about the ACS, in case you aren't familiar.