Emerson’s big birthday is about two weeks away! And it seems that the closer we get to one, the farther back into my archives I am digging. I watched the video of me giving birth last week and nearly died from nostalgia….and happiness….and disbelief that that day was a YEAR ago. Emerson was pretty interested in the video, as well, which was kind of a crazy experience in and of itself.

Revisiting all these old videos and photos has also made me realize that I need to hang a gallery wall of Emerson as a newborn somewhere in my house. Yes, part of that is because there is nothing more beautiful or sacred to me than my newborn baby. But, I’ve also noticed that looking back at that time fills me with so much appreciation, and allows me to remember that Emerson is a clean slate that I am responsible for nurturing. I feel like having a visual reminder of those facts could be just the thing to center and calm myself when life with my little one gets…..err…..challenging. Because, though she is bigger and more developed, life is still so new (and confusing/exciting/sometimes scary/overwhelming) for Emerson. She is struggling to make sense of the world, and that isn’t always going to be easy for her (or me) to handle. So, if in those moments, I could stand in front of a wall displaying a billion images of my child only days old, I could be reminded that each day is still so new for her and it’s my job to do my very best to be patient and present with her. (I might need to stand in front of that wall a whole lot when Emerson hits adolescence.)

Newborn baby girl….