August 10, 2012

We did M's pictures yesterday.  It was 7pm and still at least 100 degrees outside.  She is usually happy and easy to laugh, but last night she was out of character.  Her curiosity was ruling her.  And although her Dad and siblings were dancing and playing peek a boo to get her to laugh, she was interested in eating sticks and the sound an ice cream truck was making.

This perfect baby of mine will be one this coming week.
Say it is not so.
She is acting so grown up lately.  Playing with the kids, using a stool to walk around, learning new words, figuring things out like toys, and games, and brushing her own hair.
She is the sweetest thing.  She likes to cuddle with blankets, and pillows, and dolls and stuffed animals, and only sometimes her mother and father.  She likes a good game of chase and peek a boo.  She likes carrying toy animals around in her mouth.   She likes wearing necklaces, but not bows in her hair. She likes getting into whatever the kids are doing. She likes bouncing in her high chair to Baby Einstein Videos on Youtube.  She likes eating stuff off the floor most especially the kids coloring crayons.  And the dog. She sleeps like a pro.  From 7:30pm to 7:00 am every night.  And still takes at least one nap a day too, sometimes two.  She has a handful of words "Mama, Dada, Dog, a barking sound, Duck, Horse, Nigh Nigh, Baba,  Hello, Hi,  (ba)Nana, elephant sound, This, That, Those, What's This, Ice and Kate"  She is very curious and happy and active.
And beautiful.  Oh so beautiful.  She has lost a little of that chub we've loved to munch all year and is looking more like her big sister because of it every day.  Her hair once dark is now almost blonde.  Her birthmark across her forehead lightly remains.  Her eyes are large and dark blue and happy.
She likes to eat bananas and blueberries most of all.  And bottles.  And meat.
We call her Maize most the time, or Maze, Mary Berry, M, My Oso Soso, My beauty, Maize Baby. And Sam calls her Mary Baby all the time. Usually "Our Mary Baby" in a sing song voice
She is so loved.   By her parents, and Kate and Sam, her grandparents.  But most especially by me.  She has brought me so much joy.  I just want to hold her all the time and spy on her when she sleeps.  And hold her and kiss her some more. And wake her up so I can hold her.
She laughs and smiles and loves so easily.  She was smiling before she was 24 hours old.  And hasn't missed a day full of smiles since.  Except for church. She doesn't like church.  Because she has to be held and misses her so loved nap.
I have a lot of guilt that my baby is already one and I haven't spent the time I would have liked with her.  Of course we are together every day.  But not like the other two kids.  Between doctors appointments and just life with kids, M didn't get the sweet calm first year of life where I cuddled her and read her books for hours a day.  I wish I could have.  I wish we could have the year over to spend taking naps together and playing all day.  So it goes I guess.  And of course she has the love of her siblings to compensate some.
I can't believe it was a year ago.  A year ago that I was at the hospital having her being induced because she was almost a week late and refused to be born.  She was so small and came so fast. And I was crazy about her from the minute I saw her.
 To say she has been a perfect addition to our family does not nearly incompase how much I actually feel that way.