Whew, has it really been so long since I have posted?! Can you tell that this preparing for a one-year-old girl has become all consuming for me!?
Enough with the pseudo questions and onto the fun.
Our girl is 1 tomorrow. One years old. I don't even really know what to say except that you probably already know that I always have something to say and usually tears to cry. This is no exception. I have been living, breathing, sleeping, dreaming, all things one-years-old for the last 2-3 weeks. I have been consumed and obsessed with making everything just perfect. I have not taken a picture in the last 2 weeks because it's been busy around here preparing and creating. I finally finished up with the fabric letters, the pennant banner, the skirts (in all fairness I didn't make the tulle tutu), the invites and most importantly with the presents and the cake, neither of which I made.
I went back and forth between a retro kitchen, a dollhouse, a doll with stroller and crib and finally settled on the doll, stroller and high chair. Seriously, the cuteness just never stops when your baby girl picks up a baby kisses it and then throws it into the pink stroller and walks (she actually looks like she is running) around the living room. Girlfriend went from 0-60 on the walking thing and she appears to be rather obsessed with walking behind anything even turning stationary toys like her stand and play table into a walker. And watch out cause she is fast and probably going to take a tumble soon but so far is very graceful in her falls and always lands gently and very lady-like.
But I digress.
What does it mean to be staring this birthday in the face tonight. Well, for starters I have been sobbing on and off for the last few weeks. I will come across a newborn picture of her and just start bawling. I think of our year together and the quickness with which it came and went and start bawling again. I usually do this alone and take pride in the fact that the water works haven't appeared in front of anyone yet but tomorrow might be a different story. It's not that I am sad that she is growing up because it's exciting. She gives kisses now and claps when things are done right, she signs all done (she is a bit lazy with the signing thing) and eats like a champ laughing and clapping the whole time. At the same time I am sad because this one beautiful child will never be a baby again. She
is my baby and in the matter of 12 hours she really is not a baby anymore and that makes me sad.
On the other hand I am crazy excited because this girl of ours is tenacious and vibrant and her little personality shines through more and more everyday. It's really a celebration of surviving the 1st year with 2 kids. We came, we saw, we conquered, or not so much. It is an accomplishment and the older she gets, the busier and more work the 2 of them together are.
I see pink kitchens and doll furniture in my future and it is so much fun to imagine.
This last weekend the girls hit the town. My Auntie Jean, her friend (the lady in the log cabin), my sister, my cousin, Lyssi Lu and I went shopping in small town America and we came up big. It was an early morning since we had to be out the door by 7:40 and it was a bit of a drive but it was so worth it. We sipped real coffee in what was the most beautiful and perfectly decorated log cabin while we chatted with one of Auntie's best friends. She was welcoming, fun and energetic and we hit the stores with gusto as we walked in and out many doors, oohing and ahhing at little things here and there. Making purchases and finally ended up at yet another coffee shop to sit and chat about how much fun it all was. My girl was a shopping professional. She never whined, never cried, never so much as made a squeak as the day grew long and a nap was missed. She is a bona fide tiny shopper and we had a blast together. I smiled all night long as I looked over at her and realized again that she is indeed mine, forever and ever, okay I might need to readjust my thinking in a few years. Derrick was talking to her as he dressed her that early morning and he told her that Mommy was taking her shopping and he said that her eyes lit up and she was seriously excited. I love that. I love her. I love this Mom/Daughter thing.
So tomorrow is a celebration as much for us as for her. It's a long look down memory lane remembering that at 40 weeks she was still holding ranks on the inside and not showing signs of releasing the control. It is remembering seeing her and holding her for the first time. 7.5 lbs of the most perfect newborn-ness (not a word, deal) baby girl we had ever seen. Her lips were perfectly formed, her eyes a clear blue and her hair was well kind of like an olds mans but cute. She loved to be held, she smiled all the time sleeping or awake and she grew up from the newborn-ness way too fast.
Happy Birthday Alyssa my Lu. I love you so much it hurts, it actually does. I have always felt my heart break during intense pain or happiness and she is again no exception. I can feel my lungs tighten and my heart beats irregularly and I can really feel my heart break and I am just thankful it's over happiness and not heartache.
A peeksy at Lyssi Lu: 12 months
*Size 3 diapers.
*9-12 month old clothing.
*4 teeth still, but 2 are just starting to push there way up.
*Height and weight coming on Monday.
*Drinking her breakfast and bedtime snack of 6 ozs of formula but for lunch and din din it's on with anything from banana's, carrots, peas, green beans, cheese, chicken, celery, spaghetti, mac and cheese, basically you name it she will eat it. We also just started whole milk this week and sista loves it!
*She is a fast little crawler, walking along furniture and starting to stand up for a good minute+ at a time before trust falling into us.
*She goes to bed usually by 7:30 but her schedule has been a bit dicey these last few weeks and it's either the teething, the cold or the all consuming walking trick that has her staying up later a few nights here and there.
*She still takes her morning and afternoon nap and when she doesn't get that afternoon nap sister is out of her mind tired by 6:45 and it is not advisable to try and hold off the bedtime bottle til 7:00, just sayin.
*She gives high fives and kisses, she is a lover.
*She yells at Riley when he takes something from her and that surprises him every time. He thinks he should get away with it because he's big and she's a baby but girlfriend screams at him and occasionally throws an arm out connecting a few times hopefully causing him to think twice about being the bully.
*She is a good cleaner-upper. She loves to put toys away and then clap and then take them out and then put them back and then clap some more and well that's what we do most nights.
*She loves dogs and points them out all the time and she also loves deer heads. She seriously gets so excited when she goes to cabella's.
*She is counting to 10 and we are going to think about potty training soon. Okay, just kidding, it's late and I am tired so onto the pictures.
First memory lane and then sweaty city. By sweaty I mean-holy crap it's alot of work to take pictures of your own kids at age 1. She had me sweating up a storm and I am really out of practice with the old cam so be kind and understand that there will be a re-shoot when I forget how hard the first shoot was!
