To Baby Girl because she has turned 1!

Dear Baby Girl,
This year has been a very fun one. You came into this world and made a statement on June 14, 2005. Mommy was to be induced, and it was supposed to be a quicker labor than your sisters. It was, but only by 6 hours, which isn't that much considering that she took 26 hours to come into the world. Apparently, you were being a good teacher's daughter and had your hand raised and it got caught in your cord that was also wrapped around your head. That made for a rough entry, but you survived, and didn't seem to mind being yanked out.
When you were born, all of the nurses said, "Wow, she's a big one!" and they started laying bets on how much you'd weigh. Mommy guessed 8 lbs, and some ounces, and I was right. You were a chubby little 8 lbs, 4 oz. You had rolls that were so cute!
We brought you home and your sister was instantly in love with you. She rocked you to sleep in your car seat, she introduced you to everything in your room, and everything in your house. You were very nice and let her hold and cuddle you. You actually slept pretty good for a 4 day old, perhaps 3 hours straight.
When you were 2 weeks old, the screaming started. Your sister asked, "When will she stop crying, it's really hurting my ears." And I could only reply,"That's the way babies talk, we just need to help her and see what's the matter." We have lot's a great pictures with you screaming. We tried to take ones of you when you were peaceful and sleeping, but that really didn't happen very much at all. When you were 3 weeks old, we went to the doctor because I was sure that you had inherited the same trait that your sister had as a newborn...REFLUX! And it was confirmed, you did. We started giving you medicine, and you seemed a bit more happy.
You liked being held ALOT! You spent alot of time in the Baby Bjorn, which was fine with me and you. When you were 8 weeks old, you found your thumb, and it made you a very happy baby. You started sleeping for 8 to 10 hours a night! It was great. Mommy felt like a million bucks, except for the fact that you were a fiesty little sucker and you created a crater in the food source attached to mommy's body. We visited a lactation consultant only to be told that you were a really great sucker, and that it was likely that you would suck a wall if it meant that food would come out. We took you camping with some old friends when you were just 8 weeks old. You slept the whole night! No one could believe that you were a camper already.
A sad day came when you were about 3 months old. You started going to daycare because mommy had to go back to work. Daycare isn't a sad thing, but the one that you were in was. You were 1 of 10 kids there, and mommy had a really hard time leaving you there, so I made Daddy take you, and then one day when I picked you up, and you were laying in a crib and a humunguous child was trying to crawl in there with you, I started looking for better places.
Daycare #2, you lasted there for 3 months, but one day daddy went to take you there and Jerry Springer (a very weird, trashy, inappropriate talk show host) was blaring on the t.v. and a 4 year old and 2 year old were watching, we decided that probably wasn't the environment we wanted you to be in. Jerry Springer, and the fact that you were always buckled into your carseat no matter what time we picked you up.
Around 4 months, you got some nasty shots! And you stopped sleeping through the night.
Around 5 1/2 months, mommy decided that it was time for you to sleep in your own room. This was a hard decision, cause I really enjoyed your company, but I was sure that Daddy's snoring was waking you up and making us loose sleep.
BUT...You woke up in your room too.
When you were 6 months old, a wonderful woman named MiMi came into your life. She was your nanny. She loved you the minute she laid her eyes on you! And you loved her too! She took you for walks everyday, played games with you, cuddled you, made homemade baby food for you all in the comforts of your own home.
You hated your carseat. You just liked company! Mommy or Daddy's company.
We started feeding you lots of good food, and you loved it all! Vegetables the best.
Time flew by and all of a sudden you were 9 months old and you were crawling. It was a funny sort of crawl. You would crawl with one leg and 2 hands, and do a sideways drag and swoop with the other leg on hard wood floors, and normal crawling on carpet. Grampy used to say you were protecting your knees.
When you were 10 months old, you had the cutest curly hair, and you starting saying bye like a southern belle. But you didn't like it one bit if you were left in a room alone for one second. The separation anxiety had set in and it was the kind that you read about in books. So once again, you were attached at the hip! And you cried alot. Your sister was really good at trying to distract you and make you happy. Sometimes you thought she was hilarious, sometimes not. She got frustrated with you, but she kept on trying.
When you were 11 months old, you were cruising the furniture, and standing up and balancing on your own. You started dancing to music too. Very cute!
2 weeks before your birthday, you started walking. You looked too little to walk, but that did not stop you. Sometimes you try to run! But you are a bit clumbsy, so you've gotten some bruises, which are no fun!
On your birthday, grammy and grampy gave you a baby doll. You loved it, hugged it and said baby! You babble all of the time, I'm sure you saying lots of words, but I haven't figured out many of them yet.
You are now 1 years old, you have a very demanding, yet sweet personality. You are a girl who knows what she wants, and you are not afraid to throw yourself on the ground to let us know you mean it. You have just in the last week mastered sleeping in your own bed! Tonight we went through our whole bedtime routine, and I put you in bed, and you snuggled up, put your little bum in the air and went to sleep! Woo Hoo!
We love you baby girl, and we are so glad that you came into our lives and completed our family.
Love, Mommy

Pharoh the Sparrow

Last year for Christmas, Santa brought my sweet girl a birdhouse kit that she made with her real tools (also a gift from Santa) and a little help from her daddy. She was very proud of it and painted it, then hung it in a tree that we can see from our kitchen window.
She was even more excited when some little birds, apparently Finches, came to move in. Last Summer, some sparrows in the neighborhood were a little jealous of the new accomodations the Finches had found, and they hung out and tried to scare them away. They did not succeed, and the Finches lived there all summer.
They came back this year, and the Sparrows were really angry. There have been some mean pecking fights around that birdhouse, but the Finches have always stood their ground.
Until yesterday... We noticed from the window that there was a mean fight going on, and later, we went outside only to find a little finch, very dead laying on the ground beneath the birdhouse.
Sweet girl very indignently said,"What was that mean, ole' Sparrow thinking? That wasn't his home, he was a bully." Then she suggested that we bury him and have a funeral. Daddy dug the whole, and together they lowered him into his shallow grave and covered him. Sweet girl said a little prayer for him, and asked god to protect him in heaven.

Then she said," You know what? I'm gonna call that sparrow, Pharoh because he's just like that bad King that tried to chase god's people away, and he's a bully just like that Pharoh. He better watch out, cause God's gonna send some plays (plagues) down to that sparrow and he's not going to like it. I'm gonna say a prayer for god to help him be a good bird, not a bully." Who would have thought that a 4 year old would listen so well to the bible stories that she hears at preschool?
Watch out Pharoh the sparrow!

Sleeping Like a Baby! Ha!!!!!!

Whoever thought of that saying should have been at my house last night! I could have proved them wrong one thousand times and for 1 and 1/2 hours!
So, as I've mentioned before, my little baby girl does not like to sleep in her own bed for long periods of time. If we cooperate with her and bring her to our bed, she'll sleep for hours and hours and hours! My nanny has mentioned to me that she also enjoys the company of others during her nap times. Nanny holding baby girl = 1 to 2 hours of nap, Nanny not holding baby girl= 20 minute cat nap that leaves baby girl a lovely grump head to come home to.

So last night I decided that it was time to take this matter into my own hands. What am I saying? It's always in my own hands, my dear husband hasn't a clue when it comes to putting a child to sleep. Perhaps it's my own fault because every time he tries, he gets that helpless look, and claims to not know how to do (insert child rearing ability here), and I always step in to save the day! It's a bad habit that I trying to work on.

Last night, baby girl was exhausted. I went to put her to bed. She was half asleep and half awake. They say put them to bed when they are drowsy. Yes, I did that. The moment I laid her in her bed, she flipped her body onto her tummy, pushed her tummy off the mattress and was standing in 2 seconds flat. How does a drowsy child do that you ask? She has special powers that allow her to react to her arch, rival enemy, the crib is what I think. Then I told her it was time to go night-night, kissed her head, and up she jumped again. This went on for about 5 mintues with her screaming as if she was being tortured. Then I kissed her head, and said Mommy's going now, and walked out of the room. She proceeded to cry for 20 minutes. I returned and the prior scene repeated itself, only this time I got to change a poopy diaper and feel badly that perhaps that was the reason that she had been crying. Once again, I told her night-night, and I left the room. Another 20 minutes went by, and by this time, I'm ready to run screaming from my home. So I return for a 3rd time and the process is repeated. 2o more minutes and I go back in. She lays her head on my chest with the crib bars between us, and tries to keep her eyes open. She's so tired that her legs are buckling, and finally I am able to get her to sit in her crib, then ease her into laying position. I patted her back for a few minutes, and then she peacefully slept for the entire night in her own bed until 6:3o this morning. Was it worth it? I don't know. Perhaps I should just let her sleep with me, less stress for me, less upset and trauma for her. We'll see what happens tonight!

Playdate!

So, Sweet girl is having her first, official, after school playdate as I write. She has been to playdates, and has had friends over, but always on the weekend or with neighbor kids. This is our first friend from school. When I asked her if she wanted to have someone over, she was so excited. I expected her to pick one of the girls in her class, BUT... she picked the cutest little boy, who she plans to marry one day (she offered him 100 cookies to be her husband). They are having the best time, incorporating leggos, matchbox cars, and polly pockets. But my question is: What is my role in this? I've sent a snack down, complimented their creations, and checked on them a few times. I guess I'll just sit back and enjoy it, and check on them every once in awhile!
Next year, Sweet Girl will start Kindergarten. I can't believe that she's already crossing that milestone. It seems like just last year when I was pushing and pushing for 4 hours, and finally getting to hold the sweet little child that broke my tailbone as she busted into the world 26 hours after she made her initial move. Wow.... time flies!