Well, guess what? Mara turned one. Almost two months ago! It came and went faster than I was prepared for. I’ve been meaning to share a little 14-month update about how she’s doing and all that she’s been up to. This is a blog after all, right?!? That’s what you do on the internet, right?? Share stuff about yer kids??? The little tyke has had me all crazy and whatnot, but I’ve had a smile on my face almost the whole time! 

It’s crazy to me to think of all we have been through these last 14 months. We’ve spent weeks in hospitals. Thousands (and thousands!) on medical bills. And I’ve been pushed to every edge you can imagine. None of that is even close to what this little girl has been through. She’s such a champ and is amazingly strong. The work she’s done and the things she’s overcome, I really have no words. But Imma try!  I know that almost every mother says their babies have so much personality. But MARZ! The girl is a total ham! She has so much personality and spunk that I almost die every morning when I walk into her room and see her standing up and bouncing in her crib. (That’s right! I am no longer sleeping on the floor of her bedroom. It only took me about 8 months. #helicopterparent)

She is currently standing on her own. And a few days ago she took two teeny tiny baby steps. Of course, she hasn’t done it again since. Or maybe she has, when no one is watching.

She says your basics like “mama”, “dada”, and a few others, but she also has this obsession with “WOW” and “uh-oh!”.

She also got cleared a bit ago to start eating a few solids. We’ve done avocados, mashed sweet potatoes, some scrambled eggs, and bread! She loves it all, but the girl CANNOT get enough bread. She is definitely her mama’s daughter. It’s so funny how much I took eating for granted. I can tell Mara enjoys everything. And it’s such a treat to watch her reach for handful after handful. I am always watching like a crazy person ready for any mishaps.

“Was that piece too big???”

“What if she can’t swallow that?”

“Is it stuck?”

With every cough, my heart almost jumps out of my chest. I’m ready to perform the Heimlich or CPR at a moment’s notice. And though I’m grateful to have the knowledge of how to perform those tasks, I wonder when the time will come when I am not worrying about that. Will that ever happen? Will I ever truly be comfortable with her eating? We all have little things we worry about each of our children. And I don’t know if I will or will not worry about them forever.

Each day she seems to learn something new and it’s really like some crazy privilege to watch! When she picked up the phrase “uh-oh”, we almost passed out from the joy. I can’t really explain it, but I feel so much excitement and pride with every milestone she reaches. Of course, it was the same with Vita. The difference right now is that we weren’t sure when the milestones would be met with Mara. So each day and each milestone is so encouraging.

Quite possibly the BEST thing about her is her BFF status with Vita. I swear, how could all of the parents not tell me how fun girl-daughter-besties can be? I literally melt when we are driving in the car and they’re giggling together in the backseat. I feel like things are better every day. I’m definitely struggling on the managing work and home and all my ships (relationships, friendships, family-ships), but we’re getting there.

One child was kick-you-in-the-crotch-spit-on-your-neck-fantastic, and two sent me over-the-moon. I heard that it would totally throw me for a loop, and it really has. We are finally getting to the phase where they can play with each other. And Vita is at the age where she is like a mini babysitter. She knows to scan the floor for anything small that would go into Mara’s mouth. She knows to help her have a drink after a few bites. She always has her eye out for any potential threat to her baby sister and I 100% love it. These kids. And what they do to me! ??

(To read more about Mara’s condition of EA/TEF, click on over here and read this catch up post!)

photography \\ all photos by Lexy Ward