Happy birthday, Helena!

She woke up in a great mood this morning. I think she must know it's her special day.

No presents yet. One mylar-swathed box has attracted some attention (shiny!), but it seems the time is not yet ripe for unwrapping.

I'm about to make carrot muffins. Then I think we'll curl up to watch The Aristocats (a gift from my sister).

One year old! A remarkable accomplishment.

You learned to recognize my face, my voice. Your father's too. You learned to smile, to laugh, to express your joy with the world. You nursed. You comforted yourself to sleep. You made friends with the cats, and with Ginger Giraffe. You love books — turning the pages and reading along in your babble tongue, chewing them up.

You rode in cars, taxis, buses, subways, and trains. You excelled at yoga. You learned to roll over, and to roll yourself to anywhere you might want to go, and some places you probably didn't want to go, like over the side of the bed. Rolling, sitting, crawl-hobbling, standing, cruising.

Your body grew. And it grew more hair, and teeth, too. Months after you discovered them, your toes are still tasty, and your fingers can do increasingly amazing things.

You've developed quite the personality — you're a people person and a flirt.

You've made the world a better place for all the smiles you put on people's faces.

You will never cease to amaze me.

I love you,
Mommy