Our Family: BUN

Our baby is "BUN".

One year ago I was holding our squishy, chubby cheeked baby girl for the first time wondering HOW she got into my arms without killing me! Kate entered the world not breathing. It was soooo very scary and she was blue and not moving at all. I didn't have my contacts in or my glasses on but I knew she wasn't crying and they weren't handing her right to me after she was born. Later I learned that they were bagging her. I am grateful I didn't know that at the time. She was never without a heartbeat and our wonderful midwife kept her cord attached to me so she was never without oxygen. Let me tell you, that first cry 20 seconds after she was born was the sweetest sound I have heard. Then she pooped...not a little...it was MASSIVE. I was amazed and a little ticked. They didn't get her weighed until after the poop. I think the poop must have weighed a good 1/2 pound! She weighed in at 10 lbs 1 oz....I think she weighed closer to 10 1/2 pounds :). Most of her 10 pounds was in her cheeks. She was the easiest newborn. She would sleep from 8:30 pm to 4:30 am and then go right back to sleep until 7:30 am.

Fast forward 1 year. NOW, she goes to sleep around 10:00 pm. Wakes up between midnight and 2:30 and then sometimes goes right back to sleep but sometimes we have a little party for about an hour before I convince her that it is night time and she (I) needs some sleep. Kate is crawling...not walking. She has taken 3 steps, clapped for herself and gone back to crawling. Both Jack and Grace were walking around 9 months. Maybe it would help if we didn't carry her everywhere! She is my little peanut compared to the other two giants. She is about 10 pounds lighter than Jack at 1 years old and 3 inches shorter than both Jack and Grace at 1 years old. She starting to talk...a little.

Me: "How old are you?"
Kate: "BUN" and points her finger sideways

Then we clap and laugh. It is great entertainment.

We celebrated her actual birthday at home with just Jack, Grace, Jared & I (and Honey the dog). Jack and Grace used their own money to buy her a present. They are the sweetest big brother and sister anyone could ask for. Jack bought her a baby flip phone.

Grace bought her the stacking rings. She loves both of them! She wasn't sure what to do with presents (she didn't get that from me!) so of course Jack and Grace had to help! That morning I took Kate next door to our neighbors house (she has a beautiful garden) so I could take some pictures of Kate. It went very well (wishing for better camera...Bethany, could you please come and take Kate's pictures?) until I set her up on a bench and she fell on her head..ooops. The bench wasn't very tall and she didn't even cry but she did get scrapped from the woodchips.

(the bench)

Bad mommy! Here are some pictures from BEFORE the tumble off the bench :).

Then, on Saturday we had some friends and family come over for THE party. Our wonderful friend Amanda offered to make her cake! It turned out wonderful and it tasted SOOOO good. Thanks Amanda!

Jenn helped me a ton and made all the cookie cutouts of the #1 to put on the kids cupcakes and helped decorate the cupcakes and cookies. I was very blessed this year with all the help. The cupcakes and cookies turned out great and I didn't get one picture of them. Picture a chocolate cupcake with pink frosting and cookie #1's on the top with purple frosting.

We had about 18 adults and 17 kids and the weather was GREAT. The kids went on the pedal boat, fished off the dock, played ladder ball and bocce ball. The swing set was used a ton (we have 2 swings and a baby swing and I saw 4 kids on that swing set at one time!). Kate looked a bit confused 35 people singing 'Happy Birthday' but was very happy to eat her cupcake.

Then we all sang 'Happy Birthday' to GG (Great-Grandma...my grandma). She turned 89 today! We made her a special cupcake that had cookie cutouts "89"...she was funny and turned it upside down for "68"..nice try GG!

Then Kate got to open presents. Thankfully, Tristin was there to help because Kate was pretty happy playing with the first toy she "opened"....My Pal Violet. She LOVES that dog and we downloaded her name into it so it says "Hello Kate" and sings her song with her name and how to spell her name (thank you Auntie JoJo, KeOra, Nick and Coco!). She got a whole new wardrobe that is SOOO cute! I will try to take her picture in some of her new outfits. I may have to change her a couple times a day so she wears them all!

It was a wonderful day and Kate had a wonderful "BUN"-year birthday. Here are some random party pictures:

Kate and Erica...getting sleepy!