Dahlia Turns ONE: A Time Capsule Letter to my Dear Daughter

Yes, she is turning ONE!  I can’t believe it.  I have also abandoned my blog for the month to prep for the birthday party we will be having for her.  I am doing a Time Capsule for her birthday that she won’t be able to open until she turns 18 and I will include this letter I’ve written.  I’m not sure if I’ll wait until she’s 18 but I’ll sure try!  (And please enjoy the photos I took of her in our DIY Photo Studio in our Living Room)

Dearest Dahlia,

I cannot believe you are turning ONE!  The days have flown by and I am very grateful & feel blessed by your presence everyday.  This year, I have found that Motherhood is not easy and the struggles I had in the beginning were very trying, but we made it through and I am looking forward to what your future brings.

This past year has taught me a lot.

I have a new found respect for my own mom, your grandma, and my sister, your auntie, who have paved the way for me.  I am lucky that they support my decisions and are there to guide me to make our relationship successful.

I have also found that I am stronger than I think I am and I hope I pass this on to you.  My choice to nurse you for the entire year was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done.  Yes, even harder than giving birth to you.  But we did it together.  By sheer will & determination was I able to prosper and see the positive in it and not give up on something that seemed impossible from the beginning.  There were people that told me it was OK if I gave up, some people just didn’t understand why.  So, I sought help almost everyday, but slowly, I was able to create this bond with you that no one else could ever, ever take from us.  And for that, I am very grateful.

From the day I found out I was pregnant, I hoped and prayed for a little girl just like you.  You are everything I ever wanted and much more than I imagined.

Your little personality is shining through already and daddy & I are thrilled to be raising such an amazing human being.  Your smile is infectious and your laugh makes everyone around you happy.  You have a great demeanor, you are already focused like daddy & sassy like mom.  Ha!  We know you’ll be just fine 🙂

I want you to remember, I do not want to be your best friend, nor will I pretend to be.  I want to be your mother; a mother that guides you to be the best you that you can be.  So, dream big, do great things, be humble, respectful and accept humility.  Perfection is something I, myself, gave up a long time ago until I had you. 🙂

Happy First Birthday, Baby Doll.  We Love You to Pieces! Enjoy your day + eat some cake!

We wish you many more birthdays to come.

Love,

MOM

P.S. Daddy, Bella + Tajia love you very much too 🙂