Now that we've celebrated you in two states and with four cupcakes, it seems time to say...

You are one! It's completely, utterly impossible to believe. You have turned into a bright burst of a little girl, right before our eyes. You clap, toddle, splash and eat all with a huge smile on your face. You giggle with your full body. You've started to dance. You show off a new trick practically every day.

You are almost walking and almost talking. You stretch out your hand expectantly to walk the entire house while holding on to my pointer finger. Your vocabulary includes mama, dada, and nana - otherwise known as "banana," "more food please," and "more food now!" Absent more words, you've discovered that biting is a very effective mode of communication, especially at daycare. Gladys tells me you're "very strong" (willed, that is). We agree. In the best of ways. We just hope that as you find your words, your teeth find fewer arms to chomp.

You love: Bruno, walking Bruno, Bruno's leash, and mini Bruno; your rhino, your stand-up music table, your stackable rings, your block set and your tool box. And your bath. And your toothbrush. Also cheese and bananas. And fruit. And meat. Really, all foods. And any kind of apparatus that enables you to walk. I could go on.

You are focused, determined, and persistent. You furrow your brow when you are problem solving and you don't stop until you've conquered the task at hand. Tonight, I watched you attempt to step into your new birthday car from the Burtons about six times before you realized that you could crawl in, sit backwards, and swivel yourself forward. You beamed. (You also love your birthday car.)

You are so busy and have mastered the art of the squirm. You want to stand, walk, clap, move move move. But, you still manage to surprise us with delicious moments of snuggle. You lean in. I breath deeply.

This year has eclipsed other years. So much joy!