Words

Yesterday I talked with our childcare provider and compiled a list of words that Kaylee either says or signs. I was glad that we did, too, because Kaylee got a 12-month ASQ screening when our Parents As Teacher's educator came last night.

Kaylee's spoken words: momma, hey/hi, book, baby, bug, ball, cow, moo, boo, dog, block (she learned this one last night, as we were going through the ASQ)

Kaylee's signed words: milk, more, hat, dog, baby, signing, bye-bye (she waves, anyway...)

I think this is pretty dang good for a 1 year old. :) We're working on blowing kisses, please and thank you, and cat. Those are my priorities, anyway...I'm sure Kaylee will bust out with whatever words interest her.

We All Fall Down

Oh, but we have had a rough couple days!

It all started on Thursday morning when I got Kaylee up for the day. She had vomited in her crib sometime in the night. I felt horrible, because I know I had heard her coughing a bit, but since she didn't cry for long, I let her go back to sleep on her own. Oops. Anyway...I thought it was an isolated thing...she had had 5 shots and a big dinner the night before, so I gave her the typical morning bottle and got her ready to go to childcare. I was wrong. We had no sooner got downstairs and I grabbed my purse than Kaylee started vomiting. All. Over. The. Place.

Needless to say, I stayed home with Kaylee on Thursday. She got sick several more times, but seemed like she was mostly on the mend by late afternoon. Since the last vomiting episode was later in the day, we knew that she couldn't go to childcare on Friday either, so we agreed that Mike would stay home in the morning while I went in to do a few things at work. No problem, right.

Well, first I woke up on Friday feeling a bit off. I feared that I had caught Kaylee's junk, but I seriously had to get into the office. Bad idea. I vomited 5 times that morning, including twice in the alley behind our office and once into a trash bag while pulled over on the side of the highway. Ugh. Add to that, shortly after I arrived at the office, Mike called to tell me that he thought he had another kidney stone and needed to get to the hospital and couldn't even lift Kaylee.

Friday was a disaster, but we are so lucky to have amazing family. My dad took Kaylee to his house and Mike's grandma took him to the ER. I finished my work quickly (between trips to the restroom) and got back home. My mom took over for my dad at noon with Kaylee and I stayed in bed miserable. Mike finished up at the hospital, went in to his office for a few hours (hopped up on pain pills), and brought Kaylee home from my parents'. He took very good care of me for a few hours until he started feeling sick himself. He was sick for most of the night, waking up several times to vomit.

So each of us went through approximately 12 hours of hell and came out on the other side in one piece. A brief recap...Kaylee: 3 am - 3 pm on Thursday, me: 7 am - 6 pm on Friday, Mike: 7 pm on Friday - 7 am today.

So now we move on with the rest of our weekend. Today we have an anniversary party for Mike's grandparents (which we are co-hosting with his sister), and tomorrow is Halloween. No rest for the wicked, right?

One Year Old

My Beautiful Little Love ~

Today is your birthday and I'm filled with so much happiness and so many wonderful memories. It has been such a joy to watch you grow and learn. Your daddy and I are so blessed to have such a sweet, loving, independent addition to our family. You keep us busy, keep us laughing, and give us so many reasons to love life and each other every single day.

You have learned so many things in your first year. Some days your daddy and I just watch you in amazement as you learn something new before our eyes. Just think, a year ago, you spent about 85% of you day sleeping and the other bit either crying or eating. You were so tiny that you were practically swimming in the "newborn" sized going home outfit we got you. Your cries were high pitched and squeaky and your arms flailed out of control.

Today you are such a big girl. You sleep at night (and take one nap during the day) like a big girl. You eat food at the table and drink milk from a cup like a big girl. You walk like a big girl. You look at books upon books upon books like a big girl. You use your hands and all your senses to investigate everything in your path like a big girl. You are simply amazing, lovey.

Thank you so much for the gift of this first, beautiful year. I look so forward to celebrating many more birthdays and milestones and watching you grow and learn even more.

I love you!

Mommy

One Year Ago Today...

...was the longest day of my entire life. :)

By this point, I had been in labor for over 12 hours and still had 15 more to go. It was long, hard work, but wouldn't change a single second of it.

Tomorrow my first little baby turns one!

Party Girl

Whew...what a day!

Today was Kaylee's first birthday party. Honestly, the roughest part of the day was keeping Kaylee awake this morning so that she would take a nap just before party-time. Other than that, everything went just beautifully!

I had an amazing friend to help me pick up all the food and such and decorate the room. My equally-amazing husband and sister-in-law kept Kaylee at home until just before the party. We had just enough, but not too much, food. AND...I was able to pawn off most of the extra food and not bring too too much home with us.

We had 22 people (out of 30 invited, not bad) come out to join the celebration. Once again, I am reminded just how blessed we are to have such amazing friends and family and to have so many people that love our daughter so much. I couldn't have wished for a better first birthday celebration for my littlest love.

Big Girl!!!

Last night Kaylee started walking!!! I'm so excited and sad at the same time. My baby girl is growing up so so fast. Any suggestions on how to slow her down a bit? :)

11 Months

My Sweet Little Monster ~

I've been calling you Monster off and on all month because you are becoming so busy and independent. It makes me a little sad, but it's also just so so funny. My favorite (although it can be highly annoying) is when you grunt and reach and grab at me until I pick you up, just to have you squirm out of my arms three seconds later. Make up your mind, dear one!

You are still crawling as your primary mode of getting from Point A to Point B, but you are cruising the furniture like crazy and starting to take a few tentative little steps. Your daddy and I watch you and laugh because we know that you are just so close to walking, but you don't seem to trust yourself. You spend more and more time standing on your own, though, and can now play with a toy or clap while you're standing. It seems like just yesterday that you were starting to stand on your own and would do so with your eyes wide and your arms out to the side, just waiting for the inevitable fall.

This month you started really eating like a big girl! When you're at Amanda's house, you eat what the older girls eat for lunch and drink formula in your sippy cup. We're trying to adjust our diet at home as well so that we can all eat together. We want to eat foods that are healthy for you and easy for you to chew with those two little teeth. Soon we will be saying goodbye to baby food all together!!!

I've noticed a lot of change in the way you "talk" lately, and you seem to be developing a more mature speech pattern. It's so fun to listen to you...as if you're really talking, just in a language that I don't quite understand. We have noticed a few things that you seem to be saying more frequently and with purpose..."hi," "mamamama," and "bye". I love that you finally seem to have a name for me and I almost tear up every time you reach for me and say "mamamama". Your daddy would be very happy if you could extend the same courtesy to him. :)

This is your last month as a baby. Before we know it, we'll be celebrating your birthday and be rushing into toddlerhood. Please don't feel like you have to go too quickly...

I love you!

Your Mamamama