KT turns ONE!

KT turned one on Saturday. I can't believe it's already here. Didn't we just have her? Wasn't she JUST turning three months? That's how it feels.

Though looking back, I see all the amazing experiences that we've shared with her. I thought I'd just highlight the last 12 months of our lives together.

• Her birth. What an amazing thing to witness. Although I had a C-section, it doesn't lessen the experience of bringing life into this world.
• The feeding issues. Working through those. The tears, the triumphs.
• Her first smiles. Man, we ate those up.
• Singing Ziggy Marley to her. All. the. time. Because it was the only thing that soothed her.
• Sleep deprived nights. And early, early mornings.
• Running two 5k's, dedicating them to KT, and a healthy lifestyle.
• The jumparoo, that blessed, blessed toy that gave M&D free hands and gave KT endless hours of entertainment.
• Watching lots of Phineas & Ferb, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Agent Oso!
• KT's first sickness at 4 months, ear infection, followed by the coxsackie virus that gave her a body rash.
• Another ear infection.
• The first time she turned over.
• The first time she crawled (so exciting).
• The first time she started using her push cart to walk (the newest thing!)
• Teeth - OH THE TEETH! I think we are at 10 right now.
• Acid bathes (lotioning).
• Fun in the tub!
• Cuddles and kisses - open mouthed and sloppy - my FAVORITE kind of kisses!
• And my favorite, the nights when we rock to sleep, just looking at each other and taking the moment in. To me, at that moment, you see so much, KT. You look like you know so much more than you possibly could at 1 year old. I love those moments. I have treasured everyone of those.
• An amazing birthday party to celebrate with close family and friends. I wish I could of invited more people, but the house could only hold so many people! Next year!
• And so many other moments cherished!

Happy First Birthday, My Beautiful Daughter. I never knew. I just NEVER knew that you could bring this much LOVE. I can't wait to see what the next year holds for you.

Love, Mama

KT and her yoga buddies all turn 1 this week! Cameron (Saretta), KT (moi), Xia (Annah)

Cam, KT & Xia

I made KT her own smash cake but she wasn't interested AT ALL!

Cupcakes for the party - butterflies!

I made cupcakes for KT's class/teachers to celebrate!

On the Eve of 31

Tomorrow I turn 31.

I watched a short video earlier today that someone posted on Facebook. It had me in tears, and it's just got cartoon sketches in it. But, it made me think:

you made need to open up with You Tube to see the entire screen


I really loved the message of this video and I particularly like the "Make a Gratitude List" - so I decided that I'd make one. In honor of my birthday.

I am grateful for:

• My life and the fact that I get to live this miracle.
• Being able to give the gift of life to KT and being able to share it with her. To be able to witness all the milestones she's made in the first year. It's truly amazing.
  
• My husband, whom I can not even describe how much I love, and whom I promise not to take for granted because one day I'll give anything for just one more day with him.
• My family. Every single one of them. No matter how crazy they drive me. I know I am loved.
  
• My health. In which sometimes we get caught up in little complaints, and self pity parties, not realizing things could be a lot worse.
• My house. Realizing that so many people in this great world don't have the space and luxuries that we have been offered.
• My job. So many people are still without, busy though it may be, I will always be grateful that I have one.
• My friends. Every one of them. Whether near or far. They range in personalities and tastes. I love that about every single one of them. And I embrace that.
• My animals. I've really realized this one lately. With the loss of Ceiba. There's something about love from a furry child that is amazing. I know they are more intuitive than we think.
• For compassion. Something I've discovered more in these past few years.
  
• For my freedom. Something we all take for granted. On a daily basis. I'm able to speak my mind and not be ostracized for doing so.
  
• And finally, my age. That i can say I've lived 31 amazing years, and think not to complain about that age, thinking of so many others that would have given anything to make it this far.

Scholastic Books

One of the most vivid memories I have of my grade school years is of the Scholastic book order forms. That 4 page, newspaper style printed piece of literary heaven that came home with me in my book bag every six weeks. I remember going home and looking up and down and up and down and up and down through that catalog circling things in marker so that Mom and Dad knew exactly what I wanted. Like, hello M&D? Why can't I order everything in there? It's no fair! Life is so unfair! *end 8-year old tantrum*

But, in reflection, Mom and Dad did let me order quite a few things from Scholastic - they were always very good about encouraging reading. Something I will make sure to pass on to my kids. KT is not lacking in the library department, but I encourage and welcome any books that come her way. Too many or not.

Back to the point. Scholastic. Right.

Well KT's daycare sends home a Scholastic book order form with her about every six weeks as well. I received one on the 2nd day of her attending daycare, and from there on out, I knew we were destined to go there. Call it a sign if you will.

Considering daycare is a huge expense in itself and also the fact that I ordered WAY too many pics of her on her first photo shoot at school, I've been holding off on ordering a Scholastic book order because well, you know. Once you break the seal...and that whole theory.

But the last time it came home with her, I thought I'd place an order. The books are extremely affordable, and if you order online, the daycare automatically gets to order a free book. What better incentive than that?

So I placed an order. I think I got all 7 of these books for under $15. I can't wait to read them to KT. I can't wait for all the future Scholastic book orders that she comes home with in the future. I can't wait to peruse through it after she's circled all her choices and debate with Jeff just how much will allow "this time". Ahhh, what great memories.

It's True What They Say...

....they'll do it in their own sweet time. It's what they say, but I still refused to believe it. But... it proved true tonight.

I have been anxiously awaiting the moment when KT would start showing interest in walking. To date she'd been crawling, crawling everywhere. She'd pull up on things just fine and even shimmy around things. But no interest in trying something that moved.

In fact, at Christmas she received a buggy/walker doohickey thingy from my parents that I thought she would immediately take to. And she did. It's just that she liked to sit on it. And have you push her around. Smart kid, if I do say so myself.

But Jeff and I have really been trying to work with her at night and try to teach her how to push the cart. She'd get it, but she wanted support.

When I picked her up from school today, the teachers told me she LOVED the push carts. In fact, she was motoring all over the classroom for 30 minutes (!!) today until she became a bit destructive! So when we got home I said, let's try it! Ha! Do you think she performed for me? Not at all... Sad Mama!

But, later this evening, after bathtime, I put her on the ground to work out some energy before bed, and she was immediately drawn to her walker. Okay, I said, let's see what this girls got! And boy, does she got it!

Please let me know if you can't view these videos!




and one more!




Apologies for the crazy voice! :)

Bath Time Discovery

Someone suuuure loves to look at herself from the reflection of the silver plate in the tub. Observe.

A Heartbreaking Loss

I held out hope, for almost three weeks. Probably, 2 weeks longer than I should, but I finally have accepted a reality.

Our beloved cat, Ceiba, is gone. It happened on December 28th. It has become the norm over the past three years, for us to let the animals go into the backyard for awhile to meander, chase butterflies, etc. Cats included. Ceiba is our adventurous cat. She can scale a fence quite proficiently, and sneak into the tiniest of cracks.

In fact, when I was prego with KT, we lost her for 9 hours one day. Turns out she just spent time under our little porch in the backyard.

So Jeff was home with KT, the week that she had a respiratory virus. He let the cats out, and aired out the house in the process. Later that night, we noticed no Ceiba. This is our lap cat, folks. Our lovey cat. The one whom notices you are having a bad day and knows just the right amount of purrage to crank out to make you feel better. She's also the "baby" before the actual baby, who had grown accustomed to our affection. She was a biter. But a lover as well.

We waited two days to see if she'd come home. The amount of times that Jeff and I both checked the back porch to see if she had returned has to come close to a world record. Fliers went up. We were convinced someone had her in their homes. No dice. Not one call. We tore the house apart. No cat. We ripped up the back deck. No cat. We pieced the back porch back together again.

KT was sick for about 5 days. Then the following week she had a stomach bug. Then we had the stomach bug. I've been unable to grieve for our loss. But as things have started slowing down, her presence is missed beyond belief.

It's amazing how close we get to our animals. They really are our children. I mean, don't get me wrong, there are limits. But I am an animal lover, and so I have a soft spot for most of them.

Ceiba, if you've passed on, I'll see you again one day. If you're with another family or out in the wild, I hope your happy. I know you know how to take care of yourself and I thank God I never had you declawed for this exact same reason. If you want to come home, we're here. I've heard stories of cats gone missing for weeks, even months. Are you one of those stories, Ceibs?

We miss you.

An Open Letter to the Malicious Stomach Bug that Took out Every Member of My Family This Weekend

Dear Malicious Stomach Bug that Took out Every Member of My Family This Weekend,

After your visit two months ago, I thought my message was clear. I told you to STAY AWAY. And I meant it. You wrecked havoc on all of us back in October. You made my 8 month old at the time, heave and puke her little guts out and watching her was the worst part of it all. You slapped my husband and sent him reeling straight to the porcelain gods and then you toyed with me. You made me think you wouldn’t touch me. And just when we all thought you were gone, you reared your ugly head, like the ugly bug you are and made me puke not once, but twice. I will never forgive you for that.

And then you left, on the whirlwind that you came in on. And we forgot about you. We thought your dreaded one per year visit was done and over with. We were wrong. We were naïve.

After a previous week-long sickness, an RSV scare and three days of fever, we were finally ringing in the New Year, albeit one week late. But then, late Thursday, a phone call, I should have known. It was YOU! What do you want from us, Malicious Stomach Bug that Took out Every Member of My Family This Weekend! Money? Do I owe you Money? Have I wronged a family member of yours? Have I talked about you behind your back? Wait, don’t answer that last one.

Like an arrow to the heart, you were quick to attack my daughter first. Couldn’t you at least let her turn 1 before you struck again, you evil bastard!?! An 11 month old puking her guts up is no easier to witness then it was at 8 months!

But to add salt to an open wound, you did this while my husband was gone. Had you been planning this? You foul, wretched, ugly bug, you. I could have killed you for your timing. And as usual, you hung around.

Did you know I had plans this weekend?! Did you know how HARD it is for all my girls from college to find TIME to get together? All at once? In the same city? Did you? You must’ve!!! I had been looking FORWARD to that trip, you jerk! Having a new baby doesn’t exactly lend time to hanging out with friends much – and you had to take that away from me. Didn’t you? You couldn’t STAND for me to be happy. Well I guess it’s you who’ve got the last laugh now.

Because we thought you boarded a plane last night. We thought you were gone. But all this weather change must of cancelled your flight. My husband called me this morning and said you decided to stay longer and that the target was him.

You bitch.

Regards,

Colleen Koenig.

Christmas Picture Outtake

click on pic to enlarge