My Baby is One!!!

Today is a special day....my baby girl is 1!!!  I cannot believe that an entire year has flown by so quickly!  Yet, at the same time, it seem like she has been here forever!

Kate was actually supposed to be born on the 15th.  I was going to be induced primarily because I did not want to chance in any way being in the hospital on Christmas....with the medical excuse of having gestational diabetes.  Plus, I was already 3 cm dilated and, with a history of short labors, I was worried about missing the window for an epidural.(After 7 natural, unmedicated births, I decided it was in my best emotional interest to have an epidural with Luke's birth.  So.much.easier!  I wanted a repeat performance with Kate's birth!)

Anyhow, after dinner on the 14th I got a call from my OB saying that a freakish amount of women went into labor and my induction was cancelled for the morning.  I joked that there was "no room at the inn!"  

Honestly, God knew what He was doing!  I got to attend Ellie's Christmas concert, have another weekend to spend with my family and do pre-Christmas planning, and, best of all, I got to have the doctor I really wanted to deliver my baby!  (Thank-you, Dr. Joy Vardo!)

My labor with Kate was easy-peasy!  Jay and I spent a quiet and restful few hours waiting for my body to get ready for her arrival.  She would have arrived several hours sooner, but when my water broke in the late morning,  there was a pouch of fluid that remained that cushioned her head and kept it from putting the necessary pressure on my cervix.  Once Dr. Joy broke that, Kate arrived a very quick 4 contractions and 2 pushes later at 2:35pm!  She weighed in at a very surprising 9 lbs 1oz...I really didn't look that big(she had arm chub:)...and 21 inches long!  She was healthy, a great nurser from the get-go, and we were home by dinner time the next day!(I hate being in the hospital...you really get no rest.)

Here is Kate just moments after her arrival!

This is one of my favorite pics.  I took it with my phone when she was only a few hours old.  It was just me and Kate skin-to-skin in the hospital room after all her siblings had left and Daddy had gone home to take care of Luke.  She was just completely wide awake and gazing right at me.  It made me fall in love with her all over again!

This pic was taken by my sister-in-law, Julie, when we were waiting for her hearing test so we could be discharged!  My sister-in-law, Jackie, developed the pic and had it framed for us.:)  We were a very proud mommy and daddy....no matter how many kids you have, each one is such a little miracle!

The kids were so happy to have another sibling.  The girls were thrilled to have another sister.  Kate gets lots and lots of love!

And today.....

Kate is cruising all over the place.  She has taken a couple of independent steps, but cruising and crawling are still her preferred ways to travel!

Kate says mama, dada, hi, bye, and cheese(which she loves to eat!).  I'm pretty sure she said egg yesterday, too!

Kate is definitely more of a serious, take it all in, kind of girl.  When she really likes something or gets excited she has a really great giggle!

Kate is a mama's girl for sure...though she definitely loves her daddy, too.  Her favorite thing to do is sit on the couch with the both of us crawling back and forth from my lap to Jay's:)

Kate gives lovely open mouth kisses on our cheeks....complete with drool.  She also cuddles into us frequently and lays her head on our shoulders...which is the.best.feeling!

Kate loves to make noises with her tongue....and loves when we copy what she does.

Kate never really liked baby food, but she is loving table food!

Kate is such a joy and a blessing!  Jay and I are so grateful!

Happy Birthday, Kate!

For my 2012 Advent Challenge, the following quote really spoke to me today.  It truly is all about timing!

Today's Quiet Moment

Wednesday, December 19

Generosity lies less in giving much than in giving at the right moment.

Jean de la Bruyère