Wow! It’s hard to believe that a year ago today, my sweet little angel was born into this world. Kate has been the most remarkable baby and she literally amazes me on a daily basis. I’m amazed at her drive, her intelligence, her compassion, her competitive spirit her determination, and her athleticism. We always say that Kate is a force to be reckoned with and when she sets her mind on something it’s only a matter of time.
Kate was born on 11/24 at 10am, after Dr. V convinced us to induce. She was a big baby and the doctor was worried about her size and my blood pressure. I think Kate was already developing her exit strategy, but we just speed up the process a little. I’ll never forget the first words out of Dr. V’s mouth when he saw her….”wow, that is a BIG baby” – she was 8lbs 12oz which isn’t huge in the world of babies – but for me, she was a big baby.
Now, keep in mind that Ross and I didn’t find out Kate’s sex, so I was waiting for someone to announce that “it’s a girl or it’s a boy”…that someone was Ross. He was so excited “It’s a GGGGIIIIRRRLLLL”. Just what he wanted in his life, a female who would take his money and one day break his heart. I’m only half kidding.
So the last year with Kate has been interesting to say the least. Kate was a born eater. When we were in the hospital, the nurses had to keep waking me up at night to feed her…over and over and over. Of course, after all of the problems we had with Connor, I didn’t mind. I loved that she was eating. It wasn’t long before Kate reached the 105% on the growth chart and at three months old she was already wearing 6-12 month clothes.
However, Kate had terrible reflux. It was so bad that she couldn’t sleep flat on her back. We had to either hold her or elevate her in order for her to sleep. And then there were the countless wardrobe changes. Eat – throw up-sleep – eat – throw up-sleep.
Once we made it past the reflux, then came the separation anxiety. For some period of time, I was the only person who could hold Kate without her erupting into big huge crocodile tears. Not Daddy…only Mommy. Not the daycare worker, or the Bebe, or the Grandma or the Opa…only Mommy.
Once we made it through that then there was the “I’m too big for my britches” stage. The “I watch my big brother and will try to do everything he does” stage. The “fall off the couch, bump my head, smash my fingers and cry like a banshee” stage. Bumps, bruises, black eyes, busted lips, blood…you name it, she’s done it.
Now we’ve got the toddler Kate. She’s walking, talking, problem solving and she’s developed a little attitude to go along with her new found independence. She can walk across the room, stop to pick up a toy and keep on cruising. She can say, mama, dada, baby, bear, bye-bye, moo and boo. She’s also learning that teeth are not for biting people…only food. And she’s decided that babies can live on a diet of bananas alone. No meat, no veggies, no other fruit…just bananas. I’ve got to work on that one…
Here are some pictures of Kate…
