Birthday Smirthday

Me and my mother at the hospital. My ORIGINAL birthday!

Me at age 5 fulfilling the request to "smile with your teeth"

Me and my most special gift. Everleigh (photo by Jennifer Flanagan of Image Market Photography)

It's funny how having a baby around makes your birthday feel like a non-event. I mean, in the last 12 months Everleigh has gone from 6 pounds 2 ounces to about 20 pounds. She's learned how to communicate, to eat by herself, to dance, to play the kazoo :) What have I done? Well, actually lots of things but they truly dull in comparison. However--I thought I owed it to myself to take a moment and celebrate ME!

Today I am 29 years old.

In the past year I have done the following things: finished graduate school, had a baby, gotten a small (and pretty much insulting) promotion at my old job, gotten a new job, paid off the first car I ever bought by myself, gotten a big promotion at work, started my play therapy certification program. I have learned what it means to be a mother (for better or for worse), how to function with minimal sleep and to apply makeup in such a way that it fools people into thinking you are a normal person and not a sleep-deprived trainwreck (concealer and lots of eye-makeup ladies). I have learned how to do just about everything with a baby on my hip (and sometimes on my boob! sorry, tmi), from writing songs to cooking dinner to taking a shower. I have learned about patience and love and selflessness.

In the next year (as I approach the big 3-0), I hope to keep learning. To explore more. To cut loose more. To make more music. To read more books. To get into kick-ass shape (I gave myself to age 30 for that one because I'm nice like that). To learn more about myself. To advance in my career. To keep growing.

I have to say, I'm pretty dang proud of myself so far. And age is just a number anyways. Besides, I married an old guy, so I'll always be young :) (just kidding honey!).

Happy Birthday to me!