Week 53 & 54

Dear Jorie,

Oh my baby girl. We've been so busy I haven't had time to catch my breath, let alone sit down to write a letter to you.

Since your birthday, we've gotten you a new car seat,  you came down with pink eye, we traveled down to Connecticut so you could meet my side of the family, You've started saying some real definate words (like dada, mummaa, uhoh, and geee), and you've gotten really good at signing more. 

It seems like we are always on the go these days, and you more than us. You never sit still, it seems, unless you're strapped into the high chair or car seat, or you're asleep. You crawl and walk all over the place, and you've started trying to climb everything you see. 

Last weekend was all about Fathers day. You got your dada a bottle of nice whiskey and glasses to drink it in. I'm sure he'll need it after some of the days we've been having!

You came down with Pink Eye this past Friday, right before we were going to leave for Connecticut. So we had to get you eye drops, and for the first half of our trip you looked like you had gotten into a fight with another baby and lost. You were still a charmer, and got to meet my friend Matt from college, as well as most of my side of the family.

The worst part about you having Pink Eye was giving you the eye drops. You didn't seem that put out by the Pink Eye, but as soon as we started putting the eye drops in you would clamp your eyes shut and scream like we were murdering you. It was heartbreaking. The good news is it seems to be all cleared up now, so you'll be able to go back to day care on Thursday. 

We had to do the sitter-shuffle with both sets of grandparents this week, since neither me nor your father could take off from work to stay home with you. You were with Grandma and Grandpa R on Monday, and Nannie and Grandpa O Tuesday and today. I hate not being able to stay home with you when you're sick. 

I have a lot of pictures to upload soon. I'll have to do a post full of just pictures to catch up.

I love you baby girl.

 
   

Week 52! One Whole Year!

Dear Jorie,

I can't believe it. This week was your first birthday. It's been an incredible year little one. I simultaneously can hardly believe both that an entire year has passed since you were born, and that it's only been a year since I first saw your face. You have grown and changed so much since they first handed you to me and you looked up at me with big blue eyes. 

This weekend was all about your First Birthday party. We had the party on Sunday at your Nannie and Grandpa's house. Your Father and Grandpa helped me decorate. There was a desert table with lots of rainbow themed treats, Jelly beans, candy buttons and rainbow cupcakes made by Cakes by Karen. I made you a small rainbow smash cake. There was lots of food, hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza, and a bunch of side dishes, and every one seemed to have a good time. There were a LOT of people there! Close to 50! You are a very loved little girl. Even though we told everyone that gifts were not necessary, since you're so little you won't even remember this when you get older, almost everyone brought you something.  The party seemed to rush by for me, as I was running around most of the time talking to a million people at once.

mmmm. caaaake.

The cake smash went alright, although you seemed kind of stunned by all the people watching you, and just kinda slowly ate the cake while staring out at everyone. I was very happy with the way your cake turned out. The colors in

Cake. Smashed.

the cake were nice and bright, once you started actually eating it! You did share with Zetta a bit, which was really cute. 
 
A little while after the cake smash you were playing with a toy phone and you held it up to your ear and very clearly said "Hewwo" I heard it, and so did your Grandma R. You haven't done it again since, but I'm so sure you said hello! Monday we had round two with Nannie and Grandpa, and actually opened the gifts everyone had left you. So many cool things! Some of it is still a little old for you, but we'll hold onto it all for when you grow into it.


Tuesday (your actual birthday), we sent in the rest of the rainbow cup cake to day care with you. They were a big hit with the staff, and I hear they even let the kids in your room have some for snack!  Ms. Darcy put your hair up in these amazingly adorable pigtails. The really funny part was that you still had them after we took the rubber band out! In fact, you still had two doggie ear looking tufts of hair sticking up this morning! For dinner on Tuesday, we were over to your Grandma and Grandpa R's for dinner and round three, with some more presents and lots of love. 

The only down side to this whole slew of parties and dinners is that our schedule is thrown completely off. You've been a little cranky in the evenings and very very clingy. You just want me close all the time. Whenever I get more than a few feet away from you, you wind up to full blow sobbing. 

This morning we spent a lot of time just cuddling in the rocker in your room. It reminded me of all the late nights and early mornings spent feeding you when you were just born. We weren't in this house yet, but I remember, a few weeks after you were born, waking up with you and sitting on the couch in the old apartment, watching the sunrise while I nursed and cuddled you.

You were so tiny then. You've gotten so big so fast. Watching you and Zetta toddle around after each other at the party, I couldn't believe you were the same two tiny babies that used to sleep through two hours of your moms having coffee.

You have changed our lives completely little one. In the best ways possible. I may not have enjoyed every step of the way that got us here (I could have done without the ear infections, the allergic reaction, and having to go to work every day), but I would not trade one single second of this past year. 

I can't wait to see what the next year will bring, how you will grow, and how your personality will continue to emerge. I can't wait to hear you start talking, and to be able to share so many new things with you. 

I love you so much Jorie-bear. My little monkey.

Always in motion.

 

1st Birthday!

Happy birthday baby girl!

One day old

One year old

  You are one whole entire year old today. I cannot believe it. I love you so so so very much.

Week 51

Dear Jorie,

I'm sorry I missed your letter last week. Last week was my birthday, and in between all the festivities, I could not find the time to sit down and write a letter to you. I did take a lot of pictures though.

This past week was filled with all of our normal adventures. Seeing both sets of grandparents, brunch with Farley, our Wednesday mornings together. I feel like these weeks speed by, with only a few hours here and there to really sit down and play with you.

This is the last week before you turn one. I can't believe it. I does not seem like it was a whole year ago that I was waiting to see if I would be induced or not. It really feels like it was only a few weeks ago that you were a tiny newborn cuddling up on my chest. Now you're a powerhouse of a toddler, getting more confidant with your walking every day. 

A lot of this past weekend was spent planning for your birthday party, which we're having this Sunday. I'm almost ready for it, I just have to buy the food, put up the decorations and bake your smash cake!

You newest tricks involve waving bye bye, although you usually do it after the person has left, shaking your head no, finding toys and bringing them to us when we ask for them, and feeding us food from your plate. You're also starting to try to climb things already, and you love to take the most difficult route from point a to point b, often squeezing yourself through tiny gaps between barriers we've set up to pen you in.

Your tooth is almost all the way in now, and the way you're drooling and chewing on things, I'm sure there is at least one more on it's way. We've kept a steady supply of chewable objects around, although you're happy enough to just chew on whatever toy you happen to grab a hold of.

We're still not sure if you've said your first word or not, you make a lot of consistent noises, but nothing we can really call a "word". But words or not, you are very good at making sure we know what you mean! 

It's so much fun watching your personallity evolve. So far you are headstrong and determined, happy and friendly. You love people and animals, playing peek-a-boo, and being tickled. You have a lot of fun on the swing, and seem to have no fear of speed or heights. Complicated objects, like ornate jewelry is very interesting to you. So are wires (ugh!) any electronics, scarves, and any toy your cousin is holding. 

On Tuesday, I was holding your cousin and you would pick up another toy, walk over to us, hand him the new toy, and take what he was holding. Then a few seconds later you'd do it again. You exchanged toys with him this way maybe six or seven times before you got tired of the game.

Your father and I went out to a movie the Saturday before last, and your Grandma and Grandpa R watched you while we were gone. They had a great time playing with you! Your Grandma R said one of the things you were having fun doing was being chased by her. She would crawl around chasing you while you toddled around. You thought it was hilarious!

I love you so much baby girl!