Monday, June 22, 2009

Happy First Birthday Suzi!!!!

ONE YEAR OLD!! Holy cow, what a fast year. Super, super, super fast! I can not believe that you are already one year old, doll baby. It seems just like yesterday that I got the shock of my life when I realized that I was pregnant. But you are better than any other surprise I've ever gotten. You're the winning lottery number of my life.




When you were a week old, I sat here in the sunroom, on the couch and I just watched you sleep, admiring your tiny loveliness. Then suddenly I realized that you were going about ten seconds between breaths. I didn't panic, but I did get awfully worried when the pediatrician had us bring you to the hospital. In the ER, this is the fancy oxygen mask they rigged up for you:

It was the first sign we were to have that having you as our daughter was going to be a completely different experience than we had with your brother and sister. Little did we know that sleep, or rather the lack thereof, would continue to be a source of strife.

In the last year I have not had more than a four hour stretch of sleep, and I've only had a few of those. You do not like to sleep.

But you also just don't seem to need a lot of sleep. I've yet to take you anywhere we I haven't heard at least a dozen times that you are the happiest baby anyone has ever seen. You are a belly laughing, giggling, squealing ball of joy!

As a matter of fact, you started smiling when you were about two weeks old and you haven't stopped since. Except for in the middle of the night, of course.

You actually seem to be hitting most of your milestones early, or at least earlier than Izzy or Sophie. I'd know for sure, but with three kids I find it hard to remember to research anything when I have a free moment. But you rolled over and sat up quite early, and you already use about 10 words on a regular basis. You walked at 11 months, which is average, but you started cruising at Christmas time, when you were just six months old. I thought you'd be an early walker, but once again, you showed us that you'll do things exactly when you want to, thank you very much.

You are awesome. Truly, you are. You are the world's cutest imitator too. This morning, after I showered us both, you stood there smiling. As I put on deodorant, you patted your sides. As I washed my face, you rubbed your towel on yours. When I sang, "Get down, get down, boogie woogie," and shook my caboose, you sang, "Down, down," and shook your caboose too.

Then you reached up and touched the giant scar gashed across my abdomen where they did the c-section to deliver you. They thought that I could avoid another infection if they didn't go through my old scar, the one where I had Sophie that got infected. They were wrong, and it was was even worse, remaining open for 14 weeks. But this morning was the first time you'd noticed it. You reached up with one finger and lightly traced it for an inch or so, then you gazed up at me with those beautiful gray blue eyes (that I think might end up green like your sister's and your MaMa Norma's eyes) and you solemnly said, "Ow." Ow indeed. But a minuscule price to pay to have you in my life.

Life which is so much better, SO much more fun, having you in it. You are intense, hard headed, ecstatic and joyous. You are my sleepless little sweetie that I adore, and I hope you have a very Happy Birthday!!! I love you, baby girl!

1 comment:

Maisyday said...

Third babies are the best! It takes parents that long to reach perfection! :)