Cake Smashing

The first birthday came and went without incident. It was actually a little sad for me. I was hoping that Alex would dig into her cake with childhood abandon, but as she always does, she surprised me. She stuck one little finger into the icing and smeared it across her face, carefully examining the new textures and colors of this interesting new food. Perhaps it was her father's genes in charge here; the engineer, completely and thoughtfully mapping out every new plane, testing the new substance ever so carefully.

I see an strong sense of independence emerging in her young personality, and it made me realize that she's no longer my baby. She's my little girl now. And for the first time, with striking clarity and eminent resolve, I feel my own mortality.