Well, Little Bird, you've done it. We've done it. All three of us have made it through your first year Earthside, for better I'd say. We celebrated your big day in style with your closest friends and family at our home. There was much playing and singing of happy birthday and you did not fully understand what to do with your home made first birthday cake- a white cake with chocolate buttercream. There's a tiny chocolate handprint on the bathroom mirror this morning, a sweet love note if there ever was one.
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| Two days old. |
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Three days old.
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What are you like at this age? Into everything. Climbing, cruising, snacking, giggling. Scaling stairs up and down. Singing sometimes and crying too. Your insistent "Dat! Dat! Dat!" lets us know what you want- usually water or food that I'm eating. Your vocabulary is mostly single syllable- Ba (baby) Da (dog) Ca (cat) Dat (everything) and a few others whose meanings are less obvious out of context. You sleep pretty well, mostly through the night. You come into our bed around six each morning for cuddles before Pop goes to work. Sometimes you sleep a little longer and then I do too. Our days start pretty early with breakfast, playing, errands, and chores. You nap twice a day and they are eagerly anticipated by everyone involved. You love your crib and I tuck you in like a little burrito babe every time you lay down, wrapping your blanket around your feet so they won't get cold. You consistently despise socks, shoes, hats, and most tight clothing. You like to hand me your socks when I open the door to take you out of your car seat. It's a nice, although frustrating, gesture.
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| Two months old. |
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| Three months old. |
You eat like a wild animal- big bites and quickly. You've been eating what we eat for some time now and we've started ordering you your own food whenever we go out to eat. You absolutely adore the child size mango lassi that Woodlands bestows upon you and we have to hide it at the beginning of the meal lest you pitch a not-so-child-sized tantrum. Your favorite foods at this very moment include avocado (all time favorite!), blueberries, peas, zucchini, stinky cheeses, tangerines, yogurt, olives, pickles, egg noodles, and pear slices. You do not appreciate it when we serve you the same thing for dinner two nights in a row. You prefer to try to feed yourself with your own spoon. When I pull the high chair out for lunch you crawl to it and try to climb up to sit. You have totally figured out the dog's goal and now feed her Cheerios one by one when you think I can't see you. You eat best when no one is watching.
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| Five months old. |
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| Six months old. |
You have endured countless errands and taken all of our silly grown up stuff in stride. You seriously enjoyed a trip to the Chattanooga Aquarium and bonded with many aquatic creatures. You and Pop made it through a solo weekend and you and I made it through a solo week. You've sat patiently and not so patiently through dinners and lunches. You ripped open quite a few gifts at Christmas time and went on lots of chilly walks. There was time spent at the playground and the library and downstairs with your playmate too. You were strapped to my back through lots of catering jobs and grocery store runs. You charmed so many people everywhere we went this year. They remark on your big brown eyes and sweet demeanor. They often ask if you're always this happy and I love telling them Yes! You are!
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| Nine months old. |
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| Ten months old. |
I find that I can't quite remember the fuzzy newborn stage. The first three months of your life have melted together now- I feel like you were always this big even though I know you weren't. Birth sets you up for the rest of all your life experiences and I am thankful every day that you were welcomed to Earth in a warm, cozy, mostly calm cabin in the woods. I think in lots of ways that your labor and birth and your demeanor are linked. You are determined and stubborn, difficult to distract at times. You prefer to be on the move but then quiet down and be still at certain moments. You are alert and present and resilient beyond measure. You are hard work but bring out the best in us. You test my patience and my strength more than I ever thought possible! But I don't really mind, not at the end of the day, because you're you and you're ours.
I love you. Happy Birthday, Roberta Day!
