happy birthday, dearest cate. happy birthday to you!

i can't even think about trying to catch up on the last four, count 'em, four months i've slacked off on tonight. what i am thinking about is that my sweet, tiny babe will be one whole year old tomorrow. it is the strangest thing, this one year deal. one side of my coin can't wrap around the warp speed with which we've flown through this year. on the flip side, it is so odd to think about the fact that she's only been a part of our outside world for 12 months. in some ways, it feels like she's always been knitted deep within our hearts and minds.

and our hearts and mind are so completely hers. we think thoughts of pure love about her all day long. it is not possible to recount all of the ways she captivates, amazes and inspires us. but just for funsies, i'll give it a try.

her smile is pure sunshine. i realize it this is not likely to always be the case, but on this day, it is not physically possible for us not to smile in return. her eyebrows speak their own adorable language. she has six teeth. four on top with a buchanan gap between the middle two. and just two on the bottom. i sometimes hope she never grows any more on the bottom row so i can call her caty two-teeth forever. isn't that a good gangster name? she is a lover of people she doesn't know. she waited until her dad and i were together to take her first few steps yesterday. she points at things all day long, but my favorite point is the one that happens every time she wakes up in her room. she points at her bookshelves and gives a little, "buh, buh" sound every. single. time. when she is sleepy and lays her head on your shoulder, she tucks her arms under her body. she is becoming more affectionate by the day. she recognizes people and things (mostly stuffed animals) she likes and loves. she gives sweet kisses and will even blow them at you on request. she is at her absolute happiest when every book she owns is open and spread out around her. she loves to smell flowers. even though she can't express it verbally, i think she relishes feeling the breeze (or full on west texas wind) on her face.

it is probably equally impossible to articulate all of the hopes we have for her. mostly, we hope she knows how much she is loved by us, of course, but also by her Shepherd. we read a sweet little poem and prayer about her Shepherd at bedtime on most nights. we hope that she will know His character and begin to recognize His voice and purpose for her.

we're so thankful for our cate.