Maren's One!

Happy Birthday, beautiful girl!

Mama and Daddy here. We have had the privilege of getting to know you, and loving you, and being with you nearly every moment this past year: holding you right after you came into the world and seeing immediately how beautiful and thoughtful you are (yes, thoughtful, right from the start); taking you home and getting up with you throughout the night those first few months and never once thinking 'augh!', cause by the time we got in your room it was too late--there you were, looking so darn cute there was nothing to do but melt; the snuggles you give and have given even when you were teeny-tiny, the determined way you explore the stairs, your food, other people's mouths, the different ways you say "doggy"....We've already decided you're smart: you feverishly turn pages in your books, and turn everything upside down to figure out how it works, and you seem to have lots of conversations with us and yourself, although we can't understand you. You've gone from looking "just like" your dad, to, recently, looking more and more like a "Koering." Your hair is growing so fast, and has lightened up so much since you were born. Your mom is convinced there's red in there somewhere (of course, she thinks everyone has a little bit 'o Irish in them). We could go on and on!

So it's a little sad for us, today, Maren. This year's gone so fast. And it's becoming harder and harder to remember how little you were, because every day you grow in some way or another. And we are so delighted by the little person you are becoming -- so much a combination of us, and yet your very own independent person who is going to make her own way in the world. We watched an Oprah show (she's this talk show lady who is super smart and cool) about teenage girls who really struggle with feeling ok about who they are. And it scared us, Maren, cause even as a little baby, only one year old, we worry about you being happy--with who you are and all life has to offer you.

So, we'll tell you this a lot -- and it might get kind of old for you as you get older, but it will still be true: We love you, we love you, we love you! As the years go on, we'll be here to remind you how incredible you really are, that you are one of a kind, and that there is something in this world that is just waiting for you to make it better. Even at age one, we can tell: you are magnificent.

Happy 1st Birthday, punkin.

Mom and Dad