RitchieRoad: My baby is 1!

It is hard to believe that my baby girl is a whole year old. I have kissed, fed, clothed, cleaned, and loved this little being for a whole year. My how she has changed in that year! Over a year ago now Shaun and I took that fateful drive to the hospital. 13 hours later I delivered a little baby girl with lots of dark hair. So much of that day is still vivid in my mind. The pain has faded, but the memory of seeing that dark hair for the first time will always stay fresh in my mind. What a surreal experience, your eyes are telling you everything that is going on, but your mind has a hard time grasping the fact that this being, this tiny human baby, is yours. In fact it took me about a month before I felt like Cecilia was my daughter and there was no giving her back. Naming her was a difficult experience for both of us. We went to the hospital with a long list of possibilities and hoped what everyone told us was true. When we saw her we would know what her name was. Well, that didn't happen for either of us. We looked at her and could say what names she wasn't, but when it came to what name she was... we just weren't sure. It is such a big decision, your name stays with you for the rest of your life! I think we were both overwhelmed with that realization and were kinda scared to move forward. I started to lean towards Cecilia, and Shaun wasn't against it, but neither of us got a lightning bolt YES. Neither of us consciously expected that, but I think we both were subconsciously. In fact we were still not sure when Shaun filled out the paperwork as we left the hospital. We looked at each other and said, do you have something else you feel better about? no? Ok, this is it then. That was another thing that took a while to sink in. Of course now Cecilia is the only name for her, it just fits. But for a long time we weren't sure. Good thing she grew into it.

How lucky are we to have this happy, healthy, beautiful child in our lives! Right from the beginning she was just the sweetest baby ever. She only fussed when she was hungry and never went through a colicky phase (until she got the cast on, but that doesn't count). In fact, most of the time she didn't cry when she was hungry either, she did this adorable hungry dance that will forever endure her to me. Even when she got the cast on, and was so over tired and frustrated. She still smiled and played. As you know naps have been a struggle since the cast, but even when she chooses not to take a nap, she just lays in her crib and talks, and sings. She never cries in there.

Cecilia has the most personality of any baby I know (although I'm totally biased). She is constantly smiling and interacting with others, even if it is just me whom she sees all day long. She loves people, especially kids. She would be happy if she were around others every waking moment. In fact the only time she cries or fusses is when she is left alone. We went to the grocery store a while ago and she was smiling at this couple and they said how cute she was (which is the number one comment I get from people, even when she was in the cast). I told them that she loves to flirt with people and the guy looks at me and says, "Your husband had better get a shotgun!" With this great sing song way of saying shotgun. It was really funny. And so true, Shaun had better watch out when she turns 16!

People aren't the only thing she loves. Nature also make her so happy. Walks were one of two saving graces when she was in the cast. I was in better shape during the winter than I am now. She used to get so excited when I would put her in the stroller because she knew what was coming. This is one kid who never fights to put her coat on because she knows it means we are leaving and that means adventure.

I can't wait to see what the coming year will bring. Hopefully no more cast! She should crawl, and walk this year. Probably talk some, I can't wait to hear what she has to say! I'll be interested to see if she continues to love people or if she becomes more shy. I can't wait to see how she grows in the coming year. It can't be as much as she has this past year, but significant none the less. I compiled pictures of Cecilia from her first year below. I tried to get them as close to a month apart as I could. My how she has grown!