Dear Nola,
You are a year old! I can’t believe it. We celebrated you with our friends and family this past weekend and had a blast! There were huge balloons, lots of lollipops, an adorable cake, and people who love you a whole lot. We got you an empty swimming pool and filled it up with over 300 balls, got a small slide that goes into the pool and that was your main present from us. You – and every other kid at the party had a blast in it! You weren’t so much interested in sliding into the balls during your party, you were more into watching all of the other kids do it. It’s currently out on the back porch, and with the weather getting nicer we’ve spent a whole lot of time out there lately!
You are such a sweet and easy little girl! You are content 90% of the time. You love to people watch but get a little freaked out if too many people are in your face at one time. When people (strangers) approach to say hi and how cute you are – you give a tiny little smile and bury your head into me. I think you’re definitely going to be shy like your mama.
When you’re tired, you want your paci and baby and will lay down wherever you are, pop your head up, lay it down. Over and over again. You are so cuddly when you start getting sleepy. It’s my most favorite times. I don’t want you to ever get too old to lay your head on me. Your sleep patterns are always changing. The past couple of nights you haven’t wanted to go to bed until 10 or 11pm but you have slept through the night without waking up, so I’ll take it! You normally go to bed around 8 though and still wake up once or twice to nurse and wake up for the day between 7-8. I’m hoping we’re turning a corner and this sleeping all night thing is your new normal!
There have been a lot of changes this last month. We have started the weaning process and you are down to nursing just 2 times a day and once in the middle of the night. It seems to be going really well! I’ve yet to have a clogged duct since cutting out sessions so I’m hoping if this keeps up, we can keep going with these couple of feedings. You absolutely LOVE food and are a great eater, so it hasn’t been that difficult of a process for you. Some of your favorite foods are – yogurt, grapes, raisins, any kind of fruit, frozen peas, and pasta!
You scream or well, screech I guess at the top of your lungs – constantly! It was cute for a while but it’s definitely started to give us all a slight headache now. I think you normally do it when you’re wanting attention – and it works! You have all of us wrapped around your little finger – especially your daddy. That man will do anything and everything to make sure you are happy. You are one lucky girl to have him as your daddy. I know he will always be there for you and make sure you feel loved.
You had a cold and cough just recently and were acting pretty miserable so I ended up taking you in to the doctor and found out you had a slight ear infection. He prescribed us antibiotics but said we could wait it out if we felt that was the right choice – and since you hadn’t even had a fever that’s what we decided to do. It was not an easy decision because the last thing I wanted was for you to be miserable – especially at your birthday party! The next day you started to feel a lot better though so I’m happy I waited. I was on antibiotics a lot as a kid and I don’t want to do the same to you. They have their place – but not for everything so I’m glad we were able to wait this one out and let your immune system have a chance to work! I am so thankful for your good health. I will never take it for granted.
We celebrated your actual birthday at the Aquarium with daddy and your brother. It was your first time there and we had a blast. You were absolutely exhausted from a really bad night of sleep so I wore you most of the day but you were so content to just hang out and look at all the fish. It was also a perfect day for playing in the water – so it spent a lot of time outside at the splash pad there. You love the water!
Beebs – we survived your first year! It was definitely the hardest year of my life to date, but I’m so thankful I had your smile to help make things better. Most of the things I worried about while pregnant with you never came true – but the things that I thought would be the easiest were the most challenging. Funny how that happens. We survived you not latching on for days after being born and feeding you with a syringe. We survived daddy being gone every other week for over half the year, 10 cases of mastitis, countless painful clogged ducts, your daddy getting shingles and not being able to be near or care for you when you were just teeny tiny, and a few other extremely difficult things. We Did It! I’m so proud! God is good. Even when I’m not sure of things – He always is. That’s a hard lesson that I’m sure you’ll have to learn one day as well.
Things have finally calmed down around here. Daddy isn’t traveling right now, I haven’t been sick in over a month, and the weather has been gorgeous which seems to make everyone in a better mood! I currently have a permanent smile on my face. I love being a mama to you and B. I love being a wife to your daddy. I’ve never appreciated all the good around me as much as I do right now.
I absolutely can not wait to see what this next year holds! Walking, talking, exploring, learning new things, going new places. . . it will be the best! You are a pure joy, Nola Penelope. Our beautiful blessing.
Love,
Mama
