My Baby

In a few short days my baby will be one! One! I can hardly believe it myself. A whole year of this crazy kid has gone by and I can't believe it happened so fast.

In this short time I have learned a few things. Maybe I should say a LOT of things but a few that stand out the most. Mostly I just learned that my baby will always be a baby in my eyes.
She will always be my baby born 6 weeks early who ate from a feeding tube for 10 days. I just can't help it she will always be.

I have also learned that the work really doesn't lessen but it most definitely increases. Wrestling a baby into a pair of tights and Mary Janes while avoiding knocking all the items on the changing table is no small feat. Keeping her from standing up in a slippery tub or drinking the water that she probably peed in is like an act of God.

I have learned that if we make a mess there is a compass inside her brain that leads her directly to it. Pumpkin goo, overflow from a backed up drain, paint, it all finds it's way on to her hands, feet, and clothes. A bathtub with two inches of water in it, can still pack a pretty good splash. And don't even think about food with sauce on it, white or red every inch of baby will be covered in it...don't forget the ears!

I know now that fingers smash, lips bust, and heads bonk faster than anyone can grab an arm shield the fall. That thinking, "oh there's nothing in there she can get to" is a sure-fire way of making something messy appear from out of thin air. And that even the sturdiest things can tip over with surprisingly little force.

I also know that watching my baby kiss her bunny because she loves it so much is beautiful. That the maddest you can absolutely be will ultimately provoke the cutest grin and chuckle which in turn causes Daddies to melt like butter. Watching a little girl clap her excitement or point to something that makes her happy is like a small present each time. Witnessing a first moment of discovery is priceless.

Yep, I've learned a lot this year. And thank goodness I have a lot more ahead of me. But boy, they better slow down, this first one went a little quick for my taste, that's for sure!