Oh Mia Jane, you are the most stubborn person I've ever known. When I tell people this they snort. They snort because they are under the delusion that I am the most stubborn person they know. And your dad is no push-over either. Our genes seem to have collided into this super power of bull-headedness - You.
You have decided after months of being a great sleeper that you no longer want to sleep. Ever. At all. Under any circumstances. Unless maybe you are in direct physical contact with me. Which is obviously not always doable. You have somehow completely lost the ability to put yourself to sleep. Where did this ability go? I may put out fliers, plaster it on the side of milk cartons, for that it how much I miss it. My baby is broken. Is there somewhere I can get an upgrade? This model is out dated. She seems to think it is LAST March.
I write this in the hopes that it won't be long before I can look back on this and think, "aw, I remember that week where I was seconds away from getting my tubes tied, so sure was I that I would never ever put myself through this frustration again. It wasn't so bad. It was just a phase. And look at what a good sleeper she is now!"
You are currently in your crib going on 1 hour of standing and crying and possibly falling asleep standing up and then banging your head on the crib rail, waking yourself and crying all over again. I am at a loss.
3/28/2012
I am not even going to address the above rant, for fear of jinxing anything. I will just say that I am well-rested at the moment. That is all.
Mia, you are 1 year old today. How did this happen? Some days I am addressing myself as "mommy," and immediately wondering, "How am I someone's mom? Who allowed that to happen?" And then some days I am having some memory of a day before you were born and subconsciously injecting you into that memory, for I feel like you have been here forever.
We had your birthday party this past weekend. Everyone who loves you showed up and acted enthralled as you devoured an entire cupcake in record time. I can't lie and say I wasn't proud in that moment. This family loves sweets and you are no exception. You were a bit overwhelmed by all the hubbub, but you kept it together pretty well, even taking a nap in your crib while the bigger kids where outside taking their aggression out on a pinata.
I went over the top with decorations and cupcake baking. I love showering the people I love with attention in this way, and I can't wait until you really understand what birthdays are all about. Watch out, I might go a little crazy.
I am in the midst of weaning you from breastfeeding right now. We are down to one nursing a day, right before bedtime. I am nervous about giving this up, for fear it might mess with your sleeping, but I plan on stopping some time this week. I can't believe we made it a year. It was so so hard in the beginning. I thought about quitting so many times along the way, but I'm so glad I didn't. But I am so ready now, and you haven't seemed to miss it much, just requiring a few extra snuggles throughout the day, and chugging milk laced with drinkable yogurt (I knew you wouldn't just make a smooth transition to milk, my picky, stubborn girl, but we are working on it).
The weather was unseasonably warm the last few weeks and you have loved being outside. You toddle up and down the driveway chasing your ball. You pull grass out of the yard, and whenever you see our 4 year-old neighbor Kassie come outside you drop whatever you're doing to walk to her. You love going for walks and to the playground. Last summer I was so excited for this summer to see how interactive you would be, and it's only spring, but it's totally living up to my own hype!
Neat Party Tricks at 1 Year-old:
- You say "hat," "book" (more like "buh"), "ball" ("bah"), "shoe" and "dada" (rarely do you say "mama") in correct context
- You call anything in a cup "water" ("ah-too").
- Whenever you see me holding a plate or a cup you say "hot," because often I am holding you and a plate or cup of something hot and have to tell you not to touch, it's hot.
- Whenever someone says the word "cold" you say "burrrr."
- You try to put your shoes and socks on yourself, and you bring my shoes to me and try to put them on my feet.
- When we tell you it's bathtime you toddle off the the bathroom, and when you are undressed and ready for the bath you try to climb in by hitching one leg up as high as it will go.
- You sign "all done," and I've tried to teach you the sign for "more," but I think you have interpreted it was waving to yourself with your right hand.
- You can identify your belly, your mouth (by opening your mouth wide and sticking out your tongue), your hair, your feet, and sometimes your nose and ears.
- You dance by swaying side to side. You jump by bouncing up and down with bended knees. You rock your baby dolls and give them kisses.
- When Daddy leaves for work in the morning you wave to him from the front door then whine for a few minutes, then when he comes home at night you shout "Dada!" which must just be the coolest thing ever for him.
- You know that cows say "moo" and monkeys say "oh-oh ah-ah."
- You know the dog across the street's name, Cuddles (although you say "Duh-doos") and that dogs go "woof woof," but now you call all animals Cuddles and say they go "woof woof."
A year ago I couldn't have imagined how you would make my heart grow over the last 12 months. I couldn't have imagined what a neat little person you would become. A year ago I looked into your shrieking face and I knew I loved you, but you were still a stranger to me. Now, you are the sweetest, silliest, most wonderful person I've ever known.
Happy Birthday, gorgeous girl!
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