Reflecting on One Year With Our Beautiful Lexi Girl

It’s hard to believe that come July 6, our precious baby girl will be a year old. It might sound like a cliché, but it seems like only yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. 9 pounds 3 ounces, dark hair on her head, and deep brown eyes. As she’s grown, she’s gotten more beautiful with each passing day, in my opinion. As I look back on photos of her, she’s changed so much in such a short amount of time, and I’ve fallen in love with each version of her.

About a month and half after returning to work, I made the decision to become a stay-at-home mama. Before she was born, I considered the idea but thought that I might appreciate the break that work would give me from tending to baby things all day. After working for a bit, I realized that I spent all of my days longing for the moment when I would pick Lexi up from daycare. I missed her so much! Thanks to God providing Juan with a great job, we were able to take the leap and become a one income household.

Being a stay-at-home mama is challenging and wonderful all at once, as many can attest, I am sure. Although she’s always been a pretty good sleeper at night, Lexi doesn’t nap consistently during the day, so some days I really don’t get much time to myself. Sometimes I have to set her up with a tv show in order to cook dinner, and sometimes she cries for me the whole time I’m cooking.

The funny paradox about parenthood is that you are exhausted and constantly craving a little time to yourself, yet when that time comes you find yourself scrolling through your kids’ pictures in your camera roll or talking about your kid with your husband on date night. Lexi girl is always on my mind. I am always praying for her that she will know the Lord from a young age and that God will keep her safe, as I am sure is the prayer of many parents for their child.

As she grows, I pray that I am the parent that she needs me to be. I want to instill confidence in her, that she knows she is worthy and loved. I want her to know how beautiful she is and how much I love her unique features, like her big round brown eyes, her precious little nose, and the gap between her front teeth. I see her dad’s friendliness in her and I want to encourage this trait to flourish. She loves kids, and whenever we pass by other children on our walks, she practically jumps out of her stroller wanting to play with them.

I hope that as parents, we are able to provide her with such a solid foundation that no matter what the world throws at her, she remembers the way that her parents see her – and more importantly, the way that God sees her – and is able to hold fast to that knowledge.

Being a parent has become my highest achievement and my greatest joy. Even on the challenging days, when I hold that precious little girl in my arms my heart melts for her. I pray that her second year of life finds me leaning even more on our Savior for the wisdom and strength that I need to be the best parent I can be.