The Little Diva's Birthday :)

I cannot believe it has been a WHOLE year since the little Diva graced us with her early - yet still wonderful arrival into our family.

I find it hard to believe that at this time last year my Hubby and I were recovering from an emergency C-section and worrying what the future would hold for our teenie - weenie incubator dwelling preemie. Thankfully the year has been a good one and things have gone well for all involved. The Diva is crawling everywhere, pulling herself up on everything and loves laughing and smiling at everyone important in her life! The important people are mostly her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins -- oh and of course those extended family members and friends who also love and adore her :D The hubby and I have also mostly lost the "sleep-deprived/deer caught in the headlights look" and look more like our "regular sleep deprived parental" peers.

I've done a fair amount of reflecting on this time last year and I am grateful for the way things turned out. This time last year we were completely out of our elements; we were scared and confused, yet still hopeful that things would work out well. Thankfully they did and along with our family and friends we can celebrate a year well spent and look forward to many, many more.

I was driving home from the garden center with the little Diva yesterday and I realized something really important. I realized that I am truly, madly and deeply in love with my life. I love my husband, my daughter, our extended family and friends, my home, the neighbourhood we live in, the country which it is in... etc ETC ETC!!! I am - at my core - truly happy - despite all the little annoying things I let get to me on a daily basis. I wish I knew why it is that we let things get to us - if I could figure that out maybe I could get past it... and be more like the duck!

There was an email going around at some point and the punchline read something to the effect of: You need to be more like a duck and let problems run off you like water off the duck. Over the years my mom has often told me to be "more like the duck" and my response has become, "and not give a F@CK? You can fill in the missing letter yourself. Despite it being a silly retort it really is GOOD advice. I hope that sometime before my daughter learns to say the punchline, I no longer need to be reminded to be duck-like.

I challenge all of you to "BE MORE LIKE THE DUCK and DON'T GIVE A F@CK!!

I'm going to go get the little Diva ready to open her presents! As soon as Daddy gets home we'll have some more partying to do!

Till next time - keep QUACKING!!