Happy Birthday Little Miss Paulina!

Dear Paulina,

It is crazy to think that a year has gone by already. On one hand, it has flashed by in the blink of an eye while, on the other, it has seems impossible to imagine my life without you in it. You are such an amazingly sweet little girl and I feel so lucky, everyday, that I get to be your Mommy.

There is something special about you, Little One, that the whole world can see. Everywhere we go, literally, everywhere we go, people stop to tell your Daddy and I what a beautiful little girl you are. Your big blue eyes and sweet, toothy smile are enough to make even the hardest of hearts melt. Add to that your genuine love of people and desire to connect with them at such a young age and it is undeniable that you are going to be a heartbreaker someday.

You certainly do love people, especially those about your size. You can spot another baby from a mile away and are just tickled to have them see you back. You wave and squeal and whisper in your sweet little voice "baby." You love animals too, especially cats and dogs. When asked, you can imitate how they eat and how they sound when they sleep! And, of course, you proudly proclaim most things a "dog" whenever you see a four-legged creature (like the goats at the County Fair!).

You have become very affectionate as well. You love giving Mommy and Daddy hugs and kisses and it makes you giggle to see us kiss each other. You even kiss the dog and the pages in books that you especially like. All without being asked (well, and when we ask you too!). Your kisses, while sometimes overly slobbery and often milky, are the best kisses in the world!

While you love your Mommy and Daddy, you are already quite the independent little girl. If you can do something on your own, you'd much prefer to do it rather than to have someone help you and you are not too proud to protest when someone is not letting you do something your way.

Paulina, you are such a joy to have in our lives and, really, just an easy-going, happy baby. You have been to your share of parties and people always comment on how calm you are. Some have even asked if you ever  cry. Of course you do but usually not when you are involved in some sort of activity that includes hanging out with people. You love music and dancing and have recently started to sing! You are especially fond of Justin Bieber's "Baby" right now.

While we think you are practically perfect in every way (much like Mary Poppins), one thing we can say with an unbiased opinion is that you are a great eater! You love food. All food. Pretty much everything we give to you to try, with the exception of cauliflower and cottage cheese, you enjoy. You LOVE tomatoes and figs fresh from the garden as well as feta cheese, pickles, and blueberries. Your palette has already outgrown your mommy's! We certainly hope you continue to enjoy trying new foods as you get bigger.

You have a ton of toys and can contently play on your own for short spurts of time but you prefer when we are playing with you. You love being chased around the coffee table by your Nana and when Daddy runs with you in his arms. Your favorite toys are your balls or "Toepi" and, of course, your babies.

I can't say it enough, Paulina, but you are one amazing little girl! It is so incredible to watch you play and learn and I love doing just that. I can't wait to see what adventures our life has in store for us as a family.

I love you so much, little P, and thank God everyday for my beautiful, healthy, smart, sweet, affectionate little you.

Love, Mommy