Best year of our lives

You are one year old, Sailee Amiya Ozarkar. This time last year we spent the last month leading up to your birth saying your name out loud to each other just to feel it roll off our tongues. This time last year we couldn't visualize your little face or hear your little cry. On this day last year we woke up and couldn't possibly prepare ourselves for the immense gift that the day would bring.

On the day of your birth you came into the world at 2:58 pm. I first heard your itty bitty voice cry out and I cried tears of joy, and Daddy did too. You were so tiny - 5 pounds and 18.5 inches. You fit in perfectly in Daddy's forearm. I knew then that I would never forget that first moment I saw your sweet little face and heard your perfect little voice. One day I will tell you the whole story of that first day and the days that followed that we lived in a protected cocoon with you as we took in every precious moment and watched every amazing breath you took. Those favorite first memories of the three of us will always remain vivid and I cant wait to share them with you.

In one full rotation of the earth around the sun you have blossomed, my flower, into your own individual tiny persona with a self-efficacy that is beyond comprehension. Today you are my rambunctious toddler-to-be. You have spunk and spirit and from one moment to the next I cant wait to see your new discovery. You are curious and creative and come up with new ways to entertain yourself. You look to me to validate your sense of humor - when you think something is funny you laugh and look at me to see if I am laughing too. You bend and roll and wiggle and crawl and walk and poke and pull. You love music and rock to every tune, even the commercials. You love being outside and you love baths. Both have a calming effect on you and I use both to my advantage! You mastered the pincer grasp by the time you were 7 months and you feed yourself with pride. You use those fingers to pull every pin out of your hair. Natural is your preference. You have used sign language that you invented on your own to indicate that you want something or that you are hungry. You can climb stairs and know nothing of the consequences.You are walking on your own about 10-12 steps now and either get wobbly and fall or find something else to grab. You can turn and redirect yourself at your destination of choice, and each step brings more excitement to your face and you seem to know what an achievement this is! You think nothing of falling, you are fearless and determined.

You are exuberant and social and sweet after about 30 minutes. You have a warm up period that our friends have come to know and respect. Some days you have really strong likes and dislikes. If you dont want to do something you will turn your shoulder swiftly and make your statement with a little baby grunt. Some days the hair tells the whole story, if it is going to be a good or bad day. Your hair is insane in the mornings and we love it. You can say mama and dada and are super bouncy and overjoyed in the morning when we come to retrieve you. If we take our time, you usually play by yourself in your crib. You give us kisses on our faces, legs, and toes. You kiss any picture that has a resemblance of us or yourself. You can point to yourself if we ask you where is Sailee. You can point us out in a picture if we ask you where is Mommy, Daddy, and Chewie. You kiss yourself in the mirror. You are loving and attached, and you want our proximity so you can climb on for a good hug and squeeze and then go back to playing. You love to be held.

The day you came to this world you made us a family. The first day of your life we spent in complete and total awe and gratefulness and couldnt believe that you were truly ours. You were the greatest gift we could ever receive. Enchanted in your every breath and twitch I spent countless hours watching you, tracing your perfect little ear, dreaming of your future, and praying for you. I love you beyond measure, and a life without you I cannot imagine. Everything we do, every day, is a function of you. I hope that I always remember this first year with clarity - this wonderful year of change and growth in which we were fully intertwined in each other. I know there will be a day, too soon, when you wont need my proximity, the warmth of my arms around you, the sound of my voice to get you through the day. As our family grows so will my admiration for the person you become. As I look to your future I cannot yet form pictures, but I can promise you that you will always have our love and devotion in every hour of every day.

Happy birthday my sweet shining soulful spunky strong spirted Sailee. We love you love you love you dear girl.




Birthday girl!



The morning hair tells it all

Almost got Chewie's tail!

A rare still moment

Always up to something

We love our mirror



Trying to figure out which book to choose...to pull out of the bookcase first



First mango self-feeding...Indian baby for sure!

More videos to follow in the next blog!

Our 7th

It was about this time I think that the dancing started. Seven entire years ago we celebrated our marriage to one another. Seven years seems like so long, but I look back at us then and know that we were such different people than we are today, and it is humbling to know how we've grown as individuals and as life partners.

It was a terrific day. It was a day that I remember feeling relaxed and happy and enjoyed every minute of it. We danced our first dance and talked about how we wondered what the people watching us thought we were talking to each other about. And we laughed at the irony.

Today I find in you a husband that is sweet and charming and silly and thought-provoking and nonsensical and witty and creative and challenge-seeking and loving and logical. You lift me up and you push me to the limits. You encourage and you believe in me in ways I dont believe in myself. In your spirit I find a way of looking at the world that is accepting and tolerant and unassuming, and you live your life more as an example of what I preach than I actually do.

You are an incredible father to Sailee and in you I find the confidence to know that we will figure it out, one day at a time. We started down this road equipped with not much more than a few books on parenting and the love we knew we had within us to give whole and soul to this child. We were scared, but we took turns leading and you reminded me that this was the time to let go and let life happen and embrace the imperfections. Some days are better than others, some days are tiresome and frustrating and some days I grit my teeth and some days I lose sight of what is important. And you do too. And that is all part of the package. We are imperfect and we are learners and I love discovering with you in this new journey.

As we grow throughout the years I know that we will  move and change and find new configurations for our roles and how we see each other through our own eyes and through Sailee's. I am humbled by the divine grace that led me through the moments of my life and to you and that allows us the fortune of living this life with each other. Today I thank you for seven sweet years of marriage. And I wouldn't change a single moment.