Boo,
Last week you turned 365 days old. 12 months. One year. They say time goes by fast; they totally weren’t kidding:
Edited to add: slideshow.
(You have to be logged into Flickr to be able to see most of the photos.)
Just yesterday, it seems your father and I were having an argument a conversation over margaritas at the Mexican restaurant down the street from our old house and I was yelling at him trying to convince him that we were as ready for a baby as we were ever going to be.
Just yesterday, it seems I was pleading with you to get on with it and get the hell out of my belly already. Because, really, 10 days late?
Just yesterday, it seems I was holding you in my arms for the first time wondering how on earth I just gave birth to a little girl when I was so certain you were a boy. A Girl? *blink, blink* Really?
And now, 12 months later, you are walking and talking tornado of squishy goodness and I just want to be able to hold you *don’t pull my hair* for just *Stop That* one more… *HEY! GET BACK HERE!*
The last 12 months have been the most amazing 12 months of my entire life and as we now have entered the holiday season it is almost as if the whole world is celebrating with us your first year of life.
For Thanksgiving we traveled to the east side where we celebrated with turkey and drinks and family and friends. Like in years past, we planned on running the Turkey Trot early Thanksgiving morning, but I got off to a slow start and didn’t quite make it out the door in time to join your Aunts and cousins. Unfortunate, for certain, as this year it was rumored that the failed Vice-President hopeful Sarah Palin was there and I really would have liked her to eat my dust as we cruised past her on the one-miler. But maybe next year, kid.
Thanksgiving wasn’t a total bust though. You enjoyed spending time playing with all of your cousins, grandparents, great-grandma, great uncle(?), and Aunts and Uncles. You especially enjoyed playing with the countless water bottles your Auntie Megan had stashed in her cupboards. And you absolutely loved eating turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, pie, and rolls for days and days on end.
Baby’s First Thanksgiving 2009, also known as, MOM FAIL: 2,091. You’ll just have to trust me that you were there just to the left of the shot.
Last week we celebrated your first birthday. I had huge dreams of baking your first cake and decorating it to look something like your owl lovey, but like most of my fantasies I came to my senses just in time to realize that I have absolutely no idea how to even begin designing a cake and lest I want to end up on cakewrecks, I best leave it to the experts. So, I picked up a box of Duncan Hines angel food cake, some silver and pink cupcakes tins, cream cheese frosting, some rainbow sprinkled stars and called it good.
But, alas, the cake still ended up one big FAIL. (Are you keeping track here?) The angel food was way too spongy, the sprinkles were too hard, and your big moment was mostly spent with either your father or my finger jammed down your throat as we fished large chunks of cupcake out of your mouth.
And this week we finally celebrate Christmas after what seems like six agonizing months of prep time. Earlier in the month, we took you to see Santa (and then promptly bathed you in a vat of hand-sanitizer). You responded to him surprisingly well considering how little interaction I allow you to have with the outside world and how creepy his eyebrows were.
We’ve also spent every day this month opening a window on your first advent calendar (Thanks Grandma and Grandpa H!) and dancing to various Christmas music. We didn’t put up a Christmas Tree again this year, and frankly I think it was for the best as between you and Isis I would have definitely lost my mind constantly yelling at reminding you both to “get away from it,” and that “we don’t eat ornaments.” Maybe we’ll get one next year once you have learned to communicate better or at least can help whack at the cat.
Boo, I just cannot believe how exciting, happy, joyous, and loved the last 12 months have been with you here. Sure they have also been stressful, tiring and full of constant expletives, but all that is soon forgotten when I observe you seeing something for the first time, chuckling at the cat, even when you come up and give me a big wet sloppy kiss. You are my reason to celebrate everyday.
Love,
Your momma.
