birth day

me, in all my naked baby glory, mid 1975. 

if you've been around these parts for a while, you know that i love my birthday.

i thanked my mom last year for 35 and then for 34 rocked one of my favorite photos and oh, 

got blog hijacked!

it's been a full year, and so hard to believe that a year ago there was no baby ruby snuggling in my arms. this morning i got one of the very best presents possible, 

one that seems completely normal now 

but that i never could have imagined when m was first diagnosed deaf:

as i sit on the couch blogging and drinking coffee,

m has been dancing around the house to the black eyed peas (on repeat) in a velvet and plaid dress,

(which apparently has become the dress she wears to celebrate birthdays, since she has worn it 3 times in the last week.)

she was asking to do something and matt said that i got to pick because it was my birthday, 

so i get to pick everything we do all day long.

he asked if she wanted to sing happy birthday to me. 

m sidled up to me and started to sing, first a little quietly but slowly gaining volume, "happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to mommy."

as she sang,

i was getting teary thinking about how a year ago on my birthday she couldn't sing this song to me, 

and how two years ago i couldn't even picture what it would look like for her to dance to music, 

much less sing a song to me, 

since she couldn't even hear anything. 

at all.

she closed out her song the way they do at her school, with...

"how old are you?" 

i asked her to guess how old she thought i was. 

she squinched up her face in thought and said, "two?"

well, close enough.

and then she leaned over and gave me a hug and said, "happy birthday, mommy."

it is a happy birthday.

so much i am grateful for,

including you.

thank you.