March 29, 2012

Tower

So, my baby turns one today.  I can’t believe it’s been a full year already.  It zoomed by in the blink of a bleary eye.  I was a bit bittersweet this morning watching her eat gold fish (and toast, and cheese, and fruit, and, and…), knowing I was sending her off to day care today, sad that I wasn’t going to be spending the day with her.  But, I got over that bit of sadness quickly.  She was home yesterday, and will be home with me tomorrow.  But the melancholy of today being her birthday is still there.

She’s grown so much, changed so much from the little (big!) peanut I had to wait to hold.  It’s been a year of challenges, for both of us.  She’s overcome so many of them.  At first it was her breathing and glucose levels.  Then it was the possibility of  hip dysplasia, thanks to her being breech for so long.  Then she was caught in the PKU screening, then nursing too much, and refluxing.  Not nursing enough, losing weight. And losing more weight.  Throwing up and almost needing to be tested for pyloric stenosis, a bout of croup, an ear infection, rash, allergic reaction, and another more impressive rash.  Stomach flu with severe dehydration, which lead to two ER visits, with an IV for fluids during the second one.  Sleeping through the night.

Swinging Birthday Girl!

No, wait.  She hasn’t overcome that yet, still up at least once, usually twice a night.  Though she will sleep around four or five hours in a stretch now.  More, if she’s been stuffed with macaroni and cheese, saltines and gold fish.

But there were good things that happened too.  Her first smile, her first laugh.  The huge laughs that Teagan can get from her, the way she looks at Teagan, and Teagan at her.  Her first party, staying up to see the Royal Wedding.  Many walks on the beach.  Rolling over, finally getting out of the swaddle.  Finally saying Mama. Standing.  Crawling.  Cruising.  Supported walking.  It’s all going by so fast.She loves imitating you, putting things on her head, playing peek-a-boo, talking on the phone.

She will say LaLa now, and NayNay, though her preferred word is still DaDa.

She gives hugs.  When being rocked to sleep, she wants to be up, with her head on your shoulder, snuggled in, instead of reclined in your arms.  She loves her glowing seahorse, and will usually go down easily, though still doesn’t stay down all night.

She’s got five teeth now, all came up within the past six weeks.  At least three more are just waiting to break through.

She sits back and watches, happy to be on the side lines.  If she wants attention she will ask – cry – for it, unlike her sister, who will be a dancing monkey for any attention.

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I had this post open, revising it, adding to it, all day.  Maybe to keep my baby in mind today.  To hold her a bit longer.  I know the time she allows me to hold her is limited.  She’s going to grow up so fast, and want to run, run, as soon as she can walk.

I am looking forward to finding out who she will be as she grows older.

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