In the past (almost) two years, I have adopted a few new names.  One of them is my new last name.  And the other, the one I hear more often than my own, (although not yet from my daughter!) is mommy.

This is my second mother’s day, and it amazes me how fast the time is flying by.  I look back to last year and remember all of the worries, fears and hopes for my daughter.  She was still a baby.  She was 100% dependent on me and her daddy.  She didn’t “do much” but she was the light of our lives.

A year later, everything has changed…and nothing has changed all at the same time.

Charlotte is no longer a baby.  She is walking, starting to talk, can feed herself, ask for what she wants, dance, play independently, make funny faces and throw temper tantrums.

A year later, she is still the light of my life.

Thank you, Charlotte, for making me a mommy.  Thank you for making me laugh and making me cry.  Thank you for teaching me more in 2 years than I ever learned in school or from a book.  Thank you for showing me how to love unconditionally with my whole heart.

In a few months we will welcome a new baby into our family, and my role as “mommy” will continue to grow and mature.

It truly is the greatest gift, and greatest job God has given me.

Happy Mother’s Day to every woman who has raised a child.  I know how hard you work, and I know how much you love. :)

                                      {Mother’s Day 2011}