The Home Stretch

In just a few short weeks, my itty bitty baby . . . my tiny little gem . . . will turn one. ONE. We have rounded the corner and are headed fast toward that one year marker. And it feels good.



The milestones are flying fast. Kate's gotten her first tooth, said her first word(s), and took her first steps all in the last month. The teeth you knew about . . . but yes, you heard me right: Kate has started walking and talking.



Her first word? "Uh oh" Loud and clear, plain as day, and used in correct context. As a matter of fact, dropping her cup from her high chair and exclaiming, "Uh oh!" is officially one of Kate's favorite games. She can also say a very breathy "Hi" while waiving, but it's not quite as consistent as "Uh oh." Still, it counts.



The first steps? That milestone occurred just this past weekend. On Sunday, as we all attempted to bbq in the rain at Aunt JuJu's new place in the Virginia Highlands, Kate took her first shaky 4-5 step pass with a crowd of about 8 people watching. We cheered! We clapped! And now when you place her firm on her little feet and try to get her to walk, she starts out with a big smile and a few claps. As if to say, "Look at me! I need my praise now, please!"



Since Sunday, her steps have gotten better and better. And she's even managed to stand herself up from falling in the middle of the room, which shows her balance it getting there. I have to tell you . . . Kate looks like a little doll walking. My grandma said she would, and boy -- she was right. All 28 inches of her just toddling along is the cutest thing I've seen in a while. I can't wait until she really takes off and uses her legs as her primary form of mobility. She's still dropping to her knees to crawl (because it's faster), but certainly that won't last long. I'm about to have TWO totally mobile kids around here.

The milestones have come and gone so quickly. Wasn't it just last week I was detailing all of the effort it took to bathe both girls? Now I pretty much throw the both in the tub, and we're done in no time. And remember when Kate could not sit up . . . or when she was wanting to crawl so badly? Those days are long gone. She's accomplished so much this year.

The "first birthday party" invitations were mailed today. To me, that means we are officially in the home stretch . . . the first year is nearly done. With Meg, the party and the first year celebration was truly all about her. It was a BIG to do, bigger than I had originally planned. It was quite an event for our family. Kate's will also be a big production, though it feels a little different the second time around.

I'm not taking anything away from Kate in saying this -- but I do have to admit -- I feel like sharing a little in Kate's first year celebration. She made it a whole year . . . and so did I. This year has been one of the hardest I will probably endure (at least I can hope life doesn't get too much harder), with all the changes and the blindsiding that the second baby brought to our home. This time last year, I had NO idea what Kate's first year would hold. Now, a year later, I actually feel like I'VE accomplished something by making it from June '08 to June '09.

Like I said, I'm not taking anything away from Kate. She is going to have a first birthday party all to herself . . . I'm not even sharing her party with Meg, though their birthdays are just 3 days apart. Meg will have a pool party with HER friends, and Kate is going to have a party with our family and close family friends. Two parties in 3 days time means a lot of work for mommy, but it's worth it. Birthdays are totally for celebrating.

My calendar amazes me . . . just about 3 weeks until Kate is a year old. ONE. Time certainly flies. It flies when you are having fun . . . and as hard as this year has been, it's been amazingly fun at the same time.

Here we go . . . we've rounded the corner, and I can see the finish line ahead. We've almost made it, Kate! The one year milestone is straight ahead. And we're going to WALK across it together!

(I have pictures of Kate walking, but the computer is on the fritz so I can't get them downloaded -- I'll post some later this week for sure.)