evergreen drive: happy birthday hannah maddalena gnann buck!

It's been one year. One year ago today, we welcomed our sweet Hannah into the world. It was the most precious day of my life. We were overwhelmed with love.

09.09.09

with Daddy, Uncle Ben, and Uncle Will

with Grandma and Gran Gran

with Granddaddy and Poppy

with Mommy and Daddy

first bath

in my homecoming gown in Uncle Ben's arms

on the way home from the hospital

I never could have imagined how I would feel then, or how much more love I would feel for her every day since. Watching her grow and change and learn new things has been nothing short of amazing. Daddy and I are quite in love with this baby girl.

It has been a year of learning, and we truly have learned so much - about Hannah, about taking care of a baby, and about patience. Like all other new parents, we have faced challenges and trials. A few come to mind: her weight gain problems, stomach viruses, breastfeeding, and her skin problems. We have learned how babies grow and develop and reach milestones in their own time. We were excited as we witnessed her for the first time - sleep through the night, move to her crib from the cradle, smile, laugh, roll over, eat solid foods, crawl, wave, drink from a cup, clap, and take her first step.

We have also learned a lot about ourselves and about each other - how to be a parent team and how to be a couple at the same time. Countless times over the past 12 months we have asked God for patience, wisdom, and discernment. We have prayed asking God to help and guide us as we try to be the best parents we can for Hannah.

It has been a year of thanksgiving. We never go a day without giving praise to God for Hannah. We know that she is a gift from Him, to love and nurture while she is ours. How incredibly blessed are we? Over the past 12 months I have taken thousands of pictures of Hannah. I don't know what I'll do with all of them, but I love to look at them and watch them come up on my screen saver. I'm reminded of how fast she grows and how much she has changed. I love to see some of our favorite memories - her first Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, her baptism, her first GT game, her first family reunion, special family visits, and trips to see friends.

A couple things I now know: The best sound in the world is the laughter of your child. When I hear that sweet laugh everything else just melts away. Her daddy can get her in laughing fits and when I see the two of them my heart is so full. I know that the most precious sight is watching your child sleep - in your arms or in the crib. The many times I have just watched her I feel that God is right there and His love is so good. While I was pregnant, a friend told Joe and me in regards to her own daughter as an infant, that if she could do it all over again, she would have held her more. I knew at that moment that I was never going to forget those words. I have lived by them. I have treasured every moment I've gotten to hold or rock Hannah. I know that my time holding her is getting shorter and shorter as she grows and becomes more active and independent. I try to ingrain those moments in my memory...

I also know that I love Joe now more than ever. I could have never thought that possible a year ago, but it's true. He's a great daddy and my perfect companion on this crazy journey!

Hannah, month by month: