Where is my baby and who is this Little Girl they've replaced her with?

Before (notice the big girl sandals picked out by daddy without mommy's help!):






During (she loved the Jeep barber's chair):














Getting a blow dry (she loved it):




After, with her glamorous, Louise Brooks-esque page boy bob:

Walking in circles

sorry for my annoying voice (I hate the way I sound in recordings)

The Yuckies

Sloane has the yuckies (stomach virus) again, so our house has been a river of puke and diarrhea this week. Sorry if that offended any of our readers, but that's just the way it is living with a baby toddler.

Instead of dwelling on it, I thought I'd post some cute pictures from last weekend.

Swim lessons with daddy




Pretty girl








Two peas in a pod

Going to the park

Since the weather has gotten so nice the past week or so, we've been trying to either get to Verona Park every afternoon when I get home from work, or if I'm a bit later, play in the back yard. Sloane absolutely thrives on outdoor activities. She stares in great wonder at all the leaves, trees, grass and flowers (and tries to pick and eat them, of course). She also loves the swings, the slides and all the other playground equipment at the park.

First, though, I want to show off her new dress, a birthday gift from our friends Anila and Jerry:






Please no, photos, paparazzi...


We call this one, "I don't want to get in the car!!!!"


Swinger

Supermodel

One of my mommy friends did this as a gag...

Twelve Months

Dear Lollipop,

I don't have adequate words to describe what you have done to me and to my life in the past twelve months. You've turned my life upside down and changed me as a person in such a fundamental way that I can't truly express it. You've made me a better human being - more patient, so much more loving, more fiercely protective of the people that I hold dear. You've made us a family, a unit, one living, breathing thing - a whole. You've taught me a whole new level of fear and of joy. I lay in bed at night, listening to your little sighs and gurgles in your sleep, and I weep. I cry because I don't know how to contain all the love that I feel for you.

This month has been full of surprises and milestones - walking, three new teeth, talking much more, swimming, refusing to eat, then eating everything is sight, then refusing to eat again. This month, you've given us a preview of the toddler years ahead, and your daddy and I are a bit intimidated by you.

You're strong willed and obstinate and brilliant and perfect. You show me my own limitations, and let my imagination soar with all my dreams for you. You are the most special, profoundly amazing person I have ever known. It's been the best first year, better than I ever dreamed before you were born. I'm looking forward to the next seventeen years and beyond. No matter how you grow, you'll always be my baby.

You are everything to me. You are my world. And you always will be.

Love,
your mommy

Big Birthday Girl

I have a long letter to Sloane all written out as part of my monthly letters to her, but it will have to wait because everyone is clamoring for birthday party pictures!

Setting the scene










The birthday girl in her special dress (made by my friend Robin, who is expecting her own baby any second now)


With Grandma and Grandpa




Being fed lunch by Anila




Not loving the party hat




Mmmm... red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting




Aunt Maria, Daddy being silly and Jerry


Uncle Pete


Cousin Ryan

Pediatrician Update

Sloane had her appointment with Dr Coy on Friday. She's developing well - healthy, happy and normal. Since I wanted to split the MMR vaccine and because I have to get the chicken pox vaccine before she can get hers (yes, I've never had chicken pox), the only shot she got was the tuberculosis screen. She'll get her chicken pox, measles and prevnar at the 15 month appointment and then the mumps and rubella shots separately about a month apart.

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail around why John and I decided to split the vaccinations, but we don't believe in the causality of the link to autism, so that is not why. If any of my other mommy readers (and I know there's a bunch of you) want to discuss this further, please feel free to call or email me.

Sloane is 32 inches (above 95th percentile), 22 pounds, 4 ounces (75th percentile) and her head circumference is 18.75 inches (above 95th percentile), So, tall, skinny and with a big head to hold all those big brains.

She also finally cut the top two teeth, just in time for her birthday, and is walking better and more steadily day by day.

Bittersweet

Spring is in the air (it was 75 and gorgeous today though it's going to rain the rest of the week) and it's so bittersweet for me. My little teeny tiny baby is going to be a year old on Tuesday. She's walking and talking and generally exhibiting toddler behaviors. I'm so proud of her, but is it selfish to want her to stay little forever?

I watch her learn and adapt and change and I have tears in my eyes - of joy, of pride and of a bit of sadness at how quickly time passes. Sloane is a part of me, she came out of my body and I wear my scar from her birth as a badge of honor. It's amazing to me that this little person, this headstrong, beautiful girl is the same tiny little protoplasm that I gave birth to just a short year ago.

Swinging Sloane



(please excuse the horrible picture of me)





Eating peas




Second swim class

GDI

On Monday, we took Sloane to the pediatrician because we were concerned about her eating habits. For the last month or so, every meal time had become a battle. Sloane no longer wants to be fed anything by mommy and daddy, and only wants to feed herself finger foods. I don't blame her: baby food is pretty bland and boring. The problem is that she only has two teeth and isn't all that adept yet at feeding herself (the cats have been feasting on the expensive, organic food that rains down from the high chair).

Dr. Charlie examined Sloane, who is still gaining weight and now weighs 22 lbs 6 ounces and told us that Sloane is teething and has a case of GDI.

GDI is a very common toddler-hood illness, usually striking within the Terrible Twos. Of course, our little one would be advanced in this.

GDI, of course, is not a real disease. It's something mommy made up and stands for Goddamn Independent. Sloane is just stubborn. When she gets hungry enough she'll eat (and actually Dr. Charlie said she's perfectly healthy and normal). As a matter of fact, she's been eating much better the last few days since she saw the doctor.