Happy Birthday to my little miracle... 🙏🏻 It’s 5 am as I write this and although we’ve been sick this entire week, I don’t mind one bit that I have the privilege to comfort you in the middle of the night. 👼🏻 We have come a long way my little lion. It sounds cliche, but you have given me hope and strength that I didn’t know I had. I hesitated whether I should share the dark start of my journey as a mother one year ago but indeed it is part of our story together. The first 5 months of motherhood were some of the toughest days I have faced to date. I felt inadequate, overwhelmed and so deeply sad everyday and I had no idea what was happening. Through the tender support of my husband, family and friends, I came to realize that I was experiencing Postpartum depression. It was so unexpected because I am always the optimist and not to mention, I had a pretty wonderful pregnancy. Foolishly I didn’t think it could happen to me but boy was I humbled... I had no clue whatsoever what I was doing as a first time mom but I will say that you, my tiny cub, inspired me to seek therapy because I was so desperate to feel what I know I should have been feeling. By the grace of god, I started to feel like myself again slowly but surely and once I did, I knew that there was so much purpose in the struggle. You were by my side waiting patiently for me to heal and become the mother I dreamed to be. I was counseled by an incredible team at a UCLA Maternal health program and we found a community that was deeply supportive. Since that time, it’s become so clear that you are the ultimate gift bestowed upon me. 🙏🏻 Your smile makes my soul feel joy I didn’t know existed. Your little noises are the most beautiful music I’ll ever listen to. Your personality is funnier than any person I’ve met and I can wholeheartedly say now that you are the greatest teacher I will ever have. I know I can already write a hundred songs inspired by you... My muse forever. ✨ Thank you for choosing me to be your mother. Happy first birthday my beloved lion! I