Ryan said, at dinner on December 31st, so how was your year? William happily recollected every single event — from the week before. I laughed, but who am I to laugh? I can’t recall much more than that without significant effort.

Until I turn to glance at the pig-tailed girl beside me, laughing along with the rest of us. Suddenly I realize how much a year can hold.

She was just this last January:

She had the biggest year of all. She

— learned to sit
— learned to roll like a pro
— learned to crawl
— learned to stand
— learned to walk
— learned to run
— started to eat “real” food
— learned to say Mama, Da, Boo[k]
— learned to relocate a hundred small objects every single day from one end of the house to the opposite end

So that now, I look up and see this:

Kind of amazing. A miracle happening right under my nose.

I saw these pics as I organized my albums the other night. Fiona on the go. Each one of these shots makes me chuckle: short legs, little arms, funny faces. Little tiny person, but oh, every bit a person.

“I’m so grown up” face

soft, sweet arm. she’s so big. so little.

I love this Fiona Elspeth.