As parents and caregivers know, reaching that first birthday is a big milestone. A lot of work and loving care is behind us, even as we look forward to the next stages of development. But who knew that we'd feel a similar sense of accomplishment with the one year anniversary of the passage of a law?

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) turns one this week, and as we learned from our own members, a lot has been accomplished in this year. When we asked members to share their stories about how they've been helped by the ACA, we were flooded-- story after story came in. So we decided that personal stories should be at the heart of this blog-a-thon. Written by MomsRising members themselves, they share the details of how their families can now face down the label of "pre-existing condition" and the specter of lifetime caps thanks to the ACA. Young adult children can now remain on their parents' coverage until age 26. Seniors enjoy a strengthened Medicare and prescription drug benefits. And everyone benefits from reductions in waste and fraud, and increases in preventive care.

And don't forget to check out our partner in bringing you this blog-a-thon, the National Women's Law Center. They're also featuring posts on why the health care law is important for women and their families, and why we need to keep it strong.

Thanks so much to each of our readers for being part of our blog community, sharing these posts and commenting. And special thanks to each of our members who shared their stories with the hope that others could be helped, as well. For more inspiration and information, don't miss our full list of stories highlighted here.

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Why Health Reform Needs Moms, Dora Calott Wang, MD

Why Families Need Health Reform Now More Than Ever, Christy Turlington Burns

Shining a Light on What Healthcare Reform Means to Small Business, John Arensmeyer

Better benefits and better health for women, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

Health Reform: A Lifesaving Prescription for Women, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis

How my under-26 year old son is helped by the Affordable Care Act right now, Tracy Muñoz

Gracias a la Reforma del Cuidado de la Salud, Mi Hijo Universitario Está Ahora Asegurado, Tracy Muñoz

As a Diabetic in Oklahoma, I No Longer Face Annual Limits, Jasmine

Para Niñas y Niños con Necesidades Especiales, el Acta del Cuidado de Salud de Bajo Precio es un regalo de Dios, Magdalena Clark

Why We Can't Turn Our Backs on Health Reform, Senator Jeff Merkley

Senator Menendez: Fighting for NJ's Families, Senator Robert Menendez

For Special Needs Children, the Affordable Care Act is a Godsend, Magdalena Clark

Though my son is still battling cancer, we've already won a victory, Tracy C. Heiman

The Affordable Care Act Has Allowed Our Children To Pursue Their Dreams, Tonya Arroyo

In Massachusetts, health reform is a lifesaver for women, Amanda Dennis, Ibis Reproductive Health

I Wish ACA Had Been Law When I Was a Student, Bernadette Segura

For the First Anniversary of Health Reform, We Should Remember our Christian Values, Luz Villafana

Para el primer aniversario de la Reforma de Salud, debemos de recordar nuestros valores cristianos, Luz Villafana

"Making it feasible for people": Young adults on Massachusetts health care reform, Danielle Bessett, Ph.D., Ibis Reproductive Health

Keep Moving Forward On Affordable Care Act: My Daughter's Story, Lisa Doyle

Increasing Access to Health Insurance for Young Adults: An Unheralded Benefit of ACA, Angel M. Foster, D.Phil, MD,  AM

How the Affordable Care Act Has Helped My Family, Jose Ricardo Bondoc

What the Affordable Care Act Means for Latinos, Elisa Batista

La Reforma de Salud Un Gran Alivio Para Madres Latinas, Elisa Batista

A Time For Celebration and Action, Kristen Thompson, Children's Defense Fund

Must-See Video: What Julie, Matt and Baby Violet Faced, Anita

A Lifetime Limit Would Limit Violet's Life on Earth, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

On the Anniversary of the ACA, A Family Perspective on What it Means for Kids, Jocelyn Guyer, Center for Children and Families

Health Reform: One Year Old and Good For Kids, Wendy Lazarus, The Children's Partnership

School Health Centers Expand Despite Lack of State Funding, Louis Freedberg

Health Insurance Dilemmas- the Wrong Kind of Interest in the Middle, Barbara Kellam-Scott

Poll Finds State's Small Businesses Unaware, California HealthLine Happy Anniversary To Health, Families USA

Latinos Are 66 Percent at Greater Risk of Being Diagnosed With Diabetes, Latina Lista

One Year Later, Court Cases Hit Appeals Courts, The Young Invincibles

A Look Back, The Young Invincibles

Your Mom!...And How Health Reform Helps Her Out, Dr. Brandon Green

One Year Later: Health Care Reform a Law Worth Keeping, Wendell Potter

Bedside Manners: The Good News, "Woman" is no longer a pre-existing condition...the Bad News, it is not 2014, Adina Nack