A year

My baby is one today! I can't believe a year has gone by. This time last July I had just woke up from a nice peaceful nap thanks to wonderful drugs leaking into my spine. I had no worries and a stress free labor/delivery. Although Mattea was considered a "big baby" (8lb 1oz) I thought she was rather small. Who cares...I didn't feel a thing!!

Daddy is in the field this week so we're not celebrating until Friday when he gets home. I didn't want this day to go uncelebrated (is that a word?) though, so I decided to take the kiddos to the pool this afternoon. However, after about 10 minutes of sitting in the baby pool it was clear that the birthday girl wanted nothing to do with water today. I'm not kidding when I say she just sat there...staring around..not even splashing or attempting to move. BORING! We got out and ate snacks while brother played with some long lost buddies from last school year.

She did seem to be in a very chipper mood today, which for those of you who know her, is rare these days. Mattea has a very guarded personality, is afraid of almost everything (at least the first few times), doesn't trust anyone that lives outside her home, and whines rather consistently. OK, ok, so that sounds worse than it really is. She does laugh and smile and eat and sleep, but that's pretty much it outside of the above explanation! I feel bad! How did I end up with such a reserved child? For those of you who know me...well its a mystery.

Mattea has yet to realize the unharnessed and destructive powers she holds inside. Translation = she is not walking yet. She gets around very swiftly on her hands and knees (or really hands and knee and one leg out straight) and gets into the dog food (her fav sneaky snack now) but makes no attempt to let go of something while standing. Again...very little trust in things around her...and I guess a bit of a self-esteem issue? Perhaps I need to cheer her on a little louder or jump up and down laughing and clapping my hands wildly for every little milimeter she edges away from the sofa.

I love my daughter to pieces. I wanted nothing more when I found out I was pregnant than to have a baby girl. Mattea brought a piece of me back that was lost and she has changed my life forever. Her sweet smile and extra-nerdy laugh go perfectly with her double roll thighs and rosy cheeks. This is a picture of my baby on her special day.