The First Year

I'm thankful for y'all- 
I'm thankful for every prayer & for every word of comfort we've received along the way. 

I'm thankful for each word of advice & encouragement. 

I'm thankful for the times Ryan & I could rest knowing that Alessandra was in good hands. 

I'm thankful for all of the generosity & that she's been given everything she needs. 

I'm thankful for every moment we've been able to accomplish, achieve & succeed in our ambitions knowing that our family was caring for Alessandra.

I'm thankful for the joys-
The first time I saw her. Her first smile. The snuggles. The determination. The first steps. Her dancing. Overcoming challenges. Hearing her laughter. Feeling so proud.

I'm thankful for God's love-
We love her with an active love. So much of our activity is fueled by our desire to give her the best environment possible. We encourage her. We protect her. We nurture her. We challenge her. We're always here for her. Experiencing this beautiful love gives us just a glimpse of the wonderful love that our God has for us. 

My wonderful little girl. I thank God for you.

To Solid Foods and Beyond!

How fitting that Alessandra turns 1 year old on August 7 - the final day of World Breastfeeding Week.
http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/

There are so many moments I am going to miss from Alessandra's first year but I am so relieved to finally reach the end of this enormous project.  No more breastmilk!

Before Alessandra was born I set out to breastfeed for a year.  I've met several obstacles along the way including low milk supply (exacerbated by any attempts to lose weight), inability to latch, and so many challenges finding the time, place, and courtesy of others to accommodate my desire to give Alessandra breastmilk.

So many mommas ask me - Don't you want to quit? Aren't you tired of it?
Yes! It would be nice not to have to do this anymore.  It would be nice not to have to eat veggies and to only eat chocolate.  It would be nice to lounge on the couch having a beer instead of getting up and exercising.  It would be nice to do many things which aren't what's best for me or what is best for Alessandra.  This whole ordeal hasn't been easy but I try to wake up every day and do what's best for my family.  This is part of that effort.  I honestly think the best thing for Alessandra's health was for her to receive my milk during her first year.

Whether a momma is breastfeeding or pumping it's quite the undertaking. I have so much respect for the process now that I've been through it.

She has eight teeth now.  Since she got the hang of solids, she has never refused a food outright. I'm very blessed that we can rely on food for Alessandra's future nutritional needs but I'm glad I was able to give her this benefit in the first year.

My precious girl.  We reach another milestone.  Please don't grow up too fast.