bridget's first birthday

Yesterday, my little girl turned one. The fact that this little girl, this little life was once a part of me, literally inside me, still amazes me when I look at her. And I'm amazed when I suddenly realize she's getting bigger, older, smarter, etc. She's talking. She's almost walking. She laughs, cries, pouts, fakes tears, pretends to talk on the phone--amazing. To me, Bridget is just amazing.

We started the day by eating breakfast at Kerby's and getting pictures taken at Portrait Innovations--her first professional pictures, courtesy of Papa (my dad). The rest of the day, for me, was a blur--run home, frantically try to clean the kitchen, set the table, frost the cupcakes, prepare the taco dinner for fifteen adults and five children (two of whom didn't eat it, since they're still on the young side), and "direct" Al in house cleaning, chilling the beverages, and sorting through pictures to give to his family. (I'm bossy, and I'm blessed to have a husband who puts up with it even when he doesn't like it.) Thankfully my sister and dad arrived early to help (actually, dad was at breakfast and the photos with us). The party got off to a slow start, people arriving between 3:30 and 4:30 (the start time was 3:30), and I had to spend most of the time grinding coffee and making it for everyone in my two-cup coffee pot, over and over and over. Then, before I knew it, it was present time. Bridget wasn't really interested since she was getting hungry, so I rushed it and then made her bottle and set dinner out for everyone. I sat for about three minutes before giving up my seat and finally eating cold tacos and preparing Bridget's dinner (tacos), which her Grandma fed to her for me.

Then, finally, cake. Bridget loved being sung to by everyone and got off to a slow start on her birthday cake. (Seriously, the video is about twenty-five minutes long). But eventually she was covered in gray frosting (white frosting with black and dark pink flowers=one gray mess on a baby) and cake crumbs, and loving every minute of it. She managed to get some in her mouth, too, as was evidenced by the St. Patrick's Day colored poop in her diaper this morning. (Ha! How it turned that color from the frosting, I'll never know.) We had to hose her down with the shower head afterwards, which she also loved--this girl loves to play in water. Just doesn't like it on her face yet--but no fits, even if it gets in her eyes. Everyone left shortly afterward, and the evening was over and I was exhausted. My legs still hurt. I'm not used to standing that much in one day.

Seriously, it was a wonderful day. If my tone sounds a little melancholy, though, it's because it is. I was so busy preparing and playing hostess that I barely had time to spend with my daughter yesterday. I haven't been able to find my own camera for two months, and am not too fond of Al's, so he took most of the pictures--and I wish I had so many more, and a lot better pictures. (I'm not to fond of his point and click and then look shooting style. And half the time they're blurry and I have to delete them anyway. Sigh.) I'm not complaining, really, but I think next year I'll just do something small--maybe just a tiny me, Al, and Bridget affair--so that I can enjoy the day with my daughter. After all, the day is a celebration of her--and I want to be able to show her how much I love her, care for her, and how special she is to me (us) on this very special day.

ka, ka

"Ka, ka" is now actually one of two words: "Clap, clap" or "quack, quack" depending on the context. Likewise, there's only a slight difference between "baby" and "bye-bye"--baby is more drawn out and has more of an "iee" sound at the end of it, and when Bridget says bye-bye (and in the right context, too!) she makes little waving motions with her hands, palms turned in toward herself. For me, though, the funnest part of it all is beginning to understand what actually comes out of my daughter's mouth!

Last Sunday (February 28th) was Bridget's official first step, although an unsteady one at that. Since then, the most she's taken is three. Al encourages her every night to walk to him. Mostly, she tries to stretch her arms out and grab him while her butt's still leaning on the couch or until she end's up crouching over and plays with the carpet. Other times, she'll literally launch herself at him--fall forward with arms outstretched and take one or two steps on the way into his arms. The tiny steps she has taken have been pretty hesitant, but I'm counting on having to chase her around the house pretty soon.

This week is Bridget's last official week as a baby, although I'm thinking of her more and more as a toddler every day. Her first birthday is Saturday and it's been strange to me these past few weeks to be planning my kid's birthday party. I can't believe how fast the first year has gone--if this is any indication of the future, she'll be moving out before I know it. One thing's for sure: I couldn't have asked for a better kid to teach me how to be a mommy. I love her!

wrestler

I've got a little wrestler on my hands. Who's getting pretty good at standing on her own, too. You can see both in this video if you've got the staying power: it's a little over four minutes long. Wrestling's up front, standing's about half way through.

And the new word of the week: clap (ka! ka!). Baby (baa-byeee) is still pouring out nonstop, too!

standing, head-butting, and pointing (in that order)

Bridget's been eleven months old for a week now (I'm starting to panic about finding the perfect birthday present!) and she seems to be learning by leaps and bounds. This week, she started working on a few things--and not all of them good.

First came standing (good). That is, standing without holding onto anything. To be honest, I probably can't call it standing quite yet, since she only does it for a split second when she's reaching for something and needs both hands to get it. But she's let go of the ottoman/couch/upside down laundry basket or whatever she's using for support almost without seeming to think of it, always when she's reaching to grab something else. The first time I noticed it was Sunday morning (the 14th) when I went in to get her in the morning. I reached my arms out like usual, and this time she let go of the side of the crib to reach back to me. Honestly, I almost missed it! I hesitated right before I grabbed her to look at her, and there she was, standing without support. I'm just wondering how long til she's steady at it...and how long after that til she walks!

Next came head-butting (not good). That's right, I said head-butting. I don't know if she watched videos of goats at daycare or if the kids there have been play-wrestling (I doubt it very much, knowing Auntie) or if she just came up with it on her own, but Wednesday night (the 17th) we were at home on our own while Al went to hockey and she got mad at me, gave me this stubborn look, and slammed her forehead into my face. She hit me hard--if she would have hit my nose, she probably would have broken it. But she got my cheekbone and it stung. I know it had to have hurt her a bit, and I made the wrong move (in retrospect). I was so stunned that I reacted by getting upset, asking, "Bridget! Why did you do that? You hurt mommy!" and by coming close to crying. Well, she must have liked getting a reaction from me because when I picked her up from daycare the next day, bam! Right into my face, although not as hard and more in greeting/fun than in anger. Auntie and Uncle (daycare) laughed saying she'd been doing it all day and it was a "greeting." No, I told them, and told them about the first time. I really hope that if she keeps doing it they'll stop her instead of laughing at her, because it worries me. She was trying to do it again when she was getting tired and cranky last night, only this time was with anything within reach of her head. What is wrong with this child?

This morning came pointing (good). Pointing! Again, I almost missed it. I mean, I saw it, but it almost didn't register what she was doing. Bridget wanted to play in the dog's water bowl and I told her no. When she put her fingers in anyway and looked at me, I pulled them out and gently tapped the back of her hand, saying no. She didn't move away from the bowl, but sat next to it, pointed right at it, and looked at me with a little puppy-dog look on her face that said, "Please?" "No, Bridget," I said. She did it again. "You can't play in the water," I said. "I don't want you getting all wet." And after sitting there with a look of disappointment on her face, she crawled away and started playing with something else. I was so proud of her--and realized right then and there that she really isn't a baby anymore.

Speaking of babies, she's trying to say the word baby now. It comes out sounding more like ba-ba or ba-bye (and no, she's not trying to say bye-bye), but she's definitely trying. She loves looking at a picture of herself from almost six months ago, or board books with pictures of babies in them. She smiles and laughs and talks to them and looks at me and tries to repeat baby after me: "Ba-ba. Ba-Bye." Hasn't quite got the long vowel sounds down yet, but she's getting there, too! Oh, my little girl really is a little girl now. Sigh.

bathtime, part 2: a family affair

It's becoming a habit around here to bathe Bridget on Wednesday and Sunday nights before Al goes to hockey. If Bridget could have it her way, she'd bathe every night. Every time she gets in the bathroom now she pulls herself up by the tub and bounces up and down like she's trying to jump in. At the rate things are going, some day I'll find hear a big boom and find her sitting in an empty bathtub, tears in her eyes and finger in her mouth because she tried climbing in and couldn't figure out how to land. Some day. Thankfully, not yet.

Bathtime, though, has quickly become a family affair. Picture this: A long, narrow bathroom with the bathtub along the right wall and a double-sink vanity/counter to the left. I go in, shut the door partway (otherwise, I couldn't reach the bathtub faucet), and start to run the bath. An 80-pound rottweiler eagerly shoves her way past the partly open door and me, sticking her head into the bathtub and trying to get a taste of the water and bubbles that are quickly filling up the tub. She stands there eagerly, tongue out, looking at me with hope in her eyes. But if I stuck her in the tub instead of my daughter, she'd want out as quickly as I let her in--that is, of course, unless I let her play with Bridget's toys. In that case, she'd grab one in her mouth and then run off when she could. But I digress.

Meanwhile, Al is with Bridget in her room stripping her down and cleaning up a dirty diaper. (If you're thinking, "What a great husband/father! Changing the dirty diapers!" Yes, he is, but he only changes one diaper a day if that, so don't get too excited.) When they're ready, he brings her in. If the water's not done running yet, we'll let her stand at the side of the tub bouncing excitedly up and down, both of us sitting on the floor by her side and Mya (the rottie) doing her best to shove her way into the middle of the action. Finally, Bridget gets to get in the tub and the splashing commences. She kicks with her legs to get the water going, she chews on her toys (she's picked up a new habit of putting things in her mouth since she learned how to feed herself), she crawls around, and she pulls herself up to standing and tries to walk around the tub. Meanwhile, Al is churning the water with one hand (I think he thinks he's making waves for her, and that's exciting, but she doesn't really pay attention) and I'm nervously watching and ready to grab her in case she falls. And Mya, of course, is trying to drink the water, eat the toys, and be on top of or in between Al and I. After a shampoo, a soaping up and rinsing off, and a few minutes of play, it's all over. And Al confessed to me the other night, "This is one of my favorite times of day."

Hmmm. I'm pretty sure the saying doesn't go, "The family that bathes together stays together." At least it's Bridget's bathtime and not mine! And since I don't have any pictures yet of the new bathtime in the real tub (I can't locate my camera), I'll give you a pic of an old one in the sink she tried climbing out of the last time I put her in it. Enjoy!

hide and seek (well, sort-of)

Bridget's first game of hide and seek was a week ago. Okay, it wasn't a real game of hide and seek, but she did love it. I was at one end of the hall and Al was at the other, playing with Bridget on the floor. We didn't have the hallway light on and it was nighttime, so it was a bit dark. Al asked Bridget, "Where's mommy?" and she looked up and spotted me. Since I know she loves playing peek-a-boo, I ducked behind the corner and stuck my head out. She just laughed and laughed, and then turned around to look at Al as if to ask, "Are you watching mommy, too? Isn't she funny?"

While Bridget's head was turned, I darted down the hallway and into her bedroom. The next time I popped my head out, I was closer to her--she found that quite amusing, too. Then she decided to chase me. I ducked back into her dark room and--Zoom!--she crawled right past the door and then stopped at the end of the hall, looking around. I wasn't there, of course. When I stuck my head out again, she came at me again--and passed me again. It was hilarious--Al and I were laughing pretty hard. After about the third time, she stopped outside her bedroom door and sat there, looking at me. "Found you!" probably would have come out of her mouth if she could talk. So fun! 

hi

Bridget's saying "hi" now.

The first time I realized she was saying hi was a couple of weeks ago. She got a talking book for Christmas and the first thing it says is, "Hi, there!" She was sitting on the step down to the family room playing with the book when, suddenly, it sounded like "hi there" came out of her mouth. My head whipped around and I looked at her. She didn't say it again, though, so I wasn't convinced. Maybe it was just my imagination playing tricks on me.

But about a week ago, Bridget started saying hi in earnest. Often, she says it as she's sticking her arm straight out in the air (her signature "Heil, Hitler" version of a wave, which she's got to stop before people think I'm raising a little anti-Semite). She always says it in a little sing song voice and draws it out to two syllables: Haaa-iiii! Daycare Auntie said that Bridget said hi about fifty times yesterday. When this girl learns something, she makes sure she has it down pat--and charms everyone around her when she's doing it.