Breakfast with Granny..and "War Eagle girl"

I have been lucky to spend a lot of time with you during the past year.  Because it is best to have you in your own room and keep you in your routine with your favorite toys around you, I have always kept you at your house.  Although you have visited our house, you’ve come with your parents. But now that you are going to Mother’s Day Out two mornings a week, we are experimenting with your Dad bringing you to our house for breakfast and I take you to school on my way to work on some of your school days. Tuesday, September 25 was the first day that happened. I was excitedly anticipating it in a way that surprised me. I cleaned up the pantry and put your breakfast foods in a special container. I bought diapers, a bib & change of clothes & breakfast foods. Because your Dad was running a little late he handed you off to me then you had your first Breakfast with Granny at 4932 Nottingham Lane. You immediately noticed our ceiling fans & did your “ssssssss” fan imitation. You pointed to the lights & you immediately recognized and said "banana"...and ate one! I had some toys from a garage sale & you enjoyed playing with them and before I took you to school, I changed your diaper for the first time at our house. A minor "first" but still significant :)  Despite the fact there was an unexpected traffic jam slowing us down, you were happy all the way to school and seemed thrilled to see your teacher a chubby classmate Sam. Although I will still spend most of my time with you at your house, I think we will also have more pre-school times together at our house. On Friday I spent the afternoon at your house. Because you had a hard time going to sleep after your naptime bottle, I went into your room and held you in the rocker until you went back to sleep. What a wonderful feeling to rock you to sleep. Papa Wayne came to your house after fishing in your neighborhood lake and you were so surprised to see him when you woke up from your nap! You are a happy, smart, pretty, funny, amazing little girl. Looking forward to many more breakfasts (and other meals) with Granny!

P.S. The two pictures of you in your pretty vest were made at Breakfast with Granny. My "Post Script" to this post is you in your Auburn cheerleader outfit as an acknowledgement to football season. Your parents are both Auburn graduates & so are Papa Wayne, and cousin Mallory, and great-granddady Hastie who died March 7, 1992,  years before you were born. And your cousin Jackson Vincent Green is named after the great Bo Jackson! Auburn is having a rough football season this year so having your support is a good thing. Whether or not you go to Auburn, you definitely have "Auburn genes"...War Eagle! 

September 17, 2012-You are ONE!

 

Today is Monday, September 17, 2012. You are now one year old. I was awake at 4:46 am and thought about how much has happened in a year… and how quickly it has passed.  Your parents hosted an amazing birthday party for you on Saturday! You ate cake for the first time. The weather was beautiful and there were so many wonderful people there to celebrate the first year of your life. Your parents are the type of people who cultivate good friends who will enrich your life as well. There were so many parents & children at the party and expectant mothers too! It was delightful. There is a picture of you standing by the sliding board your great-grandmother & I gave you. I was so glad she was able to come to your birthday party. And your cousins Eli & Maggie Rae Brown and Thomas Kelley were there too as well as many other family members. There are so many people who love you! Last week I stayed with you on Thursday when you had a fever and stayed home from Mother’s Day Out. The only good thing about you not feeling well is you will let us cuddle you! You are usually too busy to cuddle!  I was so glad you were feeling good on the day of your party. It was truly a perfect event. The picture of you sitting in the tiger chair in your Auburn t-shirt is not a birthday picture, but it is so cute. And many of your guests sat on the sofa & watched Auburn win a football game (just barely in overtime) during your party. You are growing up so quickly! Yesterday I met your mother at the mall for lunch and a little shopping. You got new shoes! Purple sparkly shoes! I wonder where those shoes will take you as you begin your second year of life?

Almost One!

 

It’s September. The first month you have seen before. You are almost one and a party is being planned to celebrate. You can hold up one finger when asked how old you are (although you do it in response to some other questions as well). You walk all around behind your “walkers” (although you have trouble maneuvering corners) and you say several words appropriately. You no longer take a bath in your “duck tub”.  You are too big! You smile and laugh and enjoy life. It is contagious; it is fun to be with you. There are so many people who love you in your life and I’m glad I am one of them. I didn’t take all of the pictures in this post, but I chose them on purpose. The bathtub reminds me of how fast a baby grows the first year; just yesterday the kitchen sink seemed to swallow you! The picture at Toys R Us with Bert & Ernie reminds me of how important the Sesame Street characters may become in your life. They are so engaging and have a lot to teach us. And a lot of toddler tunes playing on Pandora. I did take the picture of you eating toast & yogurt on Thursday morning prior to taking you to Mothers Day Out at Jewish Community Center. Driving you a long way is new for me. Hearing you cry when I can’t do anything about it is hard. But you don’t cry in the car too much. And you really seem to enjoy MDO! You look so pretty standing by the rocker in your bed room. Before you were born the chair was empty & waiting for you. Now it won’t be long before holding you in the chair pre-sleep while you happily take your bottle will just be a memory. But there will be more times of reading books to you in the chair & having you delightedly playing “hide & seek” around the chair. The last picture seems to be you going to a private place to enjoy a good book. Reading books is such an important learning experience as well as a source of joy & pleasure & inspiration. I hope you will always find the time and place to enjoy a good book. Next Saturday we will celebrate your first birthday! The world is a better place & hopefully I am a better person because you were born. Over the years of your mother’s life I have learned the memories of the past are precious but the days ahead remain more precious and exciting and a pleasure. I am looking forward to all of the “one-mores” of the future!