"The days are long, but the years are short."

It has been 11 months, 29 days, 17 hours, and 35 minutes since I first became a mother. And it has been 11 months, 9 days, 17 hours, and 35 minutes of me, hoping and wishing my little guy grows stronger faster.

"The days are long, but the years are short."

I'm not sure who coined this phrase, but I heard it from a friend on Facebook. I couldn't stop nodding. There is never been a phrase so fitting to the life of a parent.

A year ago this time, I was getting ready to sleep, taking picture of my puppy son Twilight with my newly acquired Panasonic Lumix camera, the one with micro four-third lens that came from Japan. This was before the tsunami.

A year later, much time has passed, many things has happened. And the little fetus in my tummy has come to this world, growing strong and tall, and brought us so much joy and happiness.

And I do remember counting the seconds. Every day, it seemed like an lifetime to me. I longed for the day he becomes more alert, I longed for the day when he can turn, can sit up, can crawl, can stand, can walk. I just can't wait for him to grow up. Yet this 11 months, 29 days, 17 hours, and now 45 minutes have passed in a blink of an eye. A very wise friend once told me, "Kids grow up too fast, so just enjoy every second now, both good and bad." And it can't be more true! I very much love the little boy in front of my eyes, but I also miss the soft little baby in my arms.

Happy Birthday my little guy. It has been the best year of my life with many moments disguised as the worst time. It has been the year with most laughter and probably most tears, yet the bittersweet moments all turned into unforgettable memories. Most importantly, it has been the year when we became a family, a happy family of four.

Thank you for coming to our lives. Mommy and Daddy will forever love you.

Happy Birthday Coltrane.