1 Year Update!

It's hard to believe that our little girl is a year old!

Greta's first birthday!

What's Greta up to these days?

Daily Life
She's been eating more finger foods -- in part because we weren't able to get to the grocery store to buy more purees for a few days. She also enjoys using the spoon herself -- we'll hold out the bowl and help her dip the spoon and she smiles with such pride when she scoops up a little food and puts it in her mouth! At other times, she grabs the spoon only to wave it around in the air, though, so we have to be careful. And sometimes she shows no interest in feeding herself, preferring to let us feed her ourselves.

Tomorrow we have her 12-month pediatrician visit. I plan to ask about introducing cow's milk as a replacement for formula and breastmilk, since I have pretty much stopped pumping at work unless I have to stay late. I have been enjoying the freedom of not pumping and I'm appreciating that my part-time status has allowed me to get home and nurse fast enough that I can avoid the pump these days.

She's been sleeping well most nights, but there are always nights here and there that are rough. We've put a blanket in her crib a few times now when we've needed something to keep her warm and didn't have a clean sleepsack. It still makes me very nervous, but it's been going okay.

She's wearing 12 month clothes and will likely move up to 18 month clothes soon. It always surprises me how "on track" she is when it comes to outgrowing clothes, considering that she's on the small side as far as her growth curves. The first thing she outgrew in 12 month clothes was shirts that didn't have expandable collars -- her head just wouldn't fit in them. Now she's at the limits of her onesies as far as length. As usual, she still fits in her pants just fine, but I suspect that when we move her into 18 month onesies, even though she'll still fit in 12 month pants, we'd be able to transition her to 18 month pants without too many troubles.

Skills

It's hard to say what her new skills are. She's been pulling up and cruising and in the last couple weeks she's taken a few independent steps (towards a caregiver with outstretched arms), but I wouldn't say that she's walking yet. I think generally she's just more "kid-like" everyday. Like the way that she babbles to herself when she thinks nobody is looking, or the way that she smiles when she sees us kiss one another, or the way that she nods at us (not always as a communication technique, but sometimes?), or the way that she lights up when I come to unbuckle her from her car seat, or the way she giggles and coos when she feels the wind through her hair, or the way that she kicks her feet in excitement when she's in the stroller. These are moments that I cherish because they let me know that she is growing not only in her own skin, but as a member of our family.

Happy Birthday, Greta Girl. We love you very much.

Due Date Reflections

One year ago this past Friday, I was sadly celebrating Pi day, so disappointed that my baby would not be arriving. Ben assured me that my baby just wanted to celebrate the day in a spherical environment. This year, we had her birthday party -- a small, family affair. A combination of Greta's first Pi Day and birthday party.

Greta celebrates Pi Day. How many circles can you spy in this picture? 

One year ago this morning, convinced that my glimmers of regular contractions had fizzled out, I consoled myself that my baby wasn't coming on his/her due date by going to the Highpoint Center for Printmaking, where I made a piece of artwork for my Bambin@. This year, my parents spent the morning playing with Greta before they left town.

One year ago right now, almost to the minute as I am writing this, I lost my mucus plug in our upstairs bathroom. Within a short period of time, early labor started. Right now, Ben is in the upstairs bathroom giving a splashing Greta a bath.

One year ago tonight, at 2:47am, I woke up in active labor. Tonight I sincerely hope I am asleep at that time.

One year ago tomorrow, I was in labor all day long, expecting a St. Patrick's day baby. Tomorrow I expect to wear green to avoid getting pinched by my students and colleagues.

One year ago this Tuesday morning, I gave birth to a squirmy, slimy newborn who was placed on my chest and I thought I'd pass out from sheer exhaustion. Ben told me that she was a girl. This Tuesday, for work reasons, will be a tiring day for both Ben and myself, but it obviously won't even come close to a year ago. And as exciting as it was to meet our new baby on March 18, 2013, if the last few months are any precedent I predict that March 18, 2014 will be even happier. Much happier, in fact. There will be emotions -- there have been emotions all week -- but I predict that they will be ones of gratitude, joy, and love.

Life has been more joyful each day that we have had with our Margaret Linnea.