Chloë really did wait to turn one to start doing all the things big girls should do. She learned how to clap a few days short of her first birthday, started waving and saying bye-bye, and in the last couple of weeks has also started calling for mama and papa, oh! and let's not forget--she has already thrown a few tantrums here and there. But Saturday evening (July 25th--I made a mental note!) she really outdid herself. She took several steps, SEVERAL!! ALL ON HER OWN! She took 3 steps, paused, looked around, LAUGHED (at the comical sight that is a tiny, teeny little babe trying to walk, no doubt) and then took another 3 steps before collapsing into my arms and squealing. I think she realized that she had just done something BIG, which is why clapping followed the squealing.
Now, I wouldn't say these first real steps mean she's now a walking machine, she's still learning, it's hard work (but she's persistent!) so we'll see how long until she's more comfortable with the whole thing. There's been two or three repeat performances already, but 'm hoping, REALLY hoping, that she doesn't get itchy feet for real until AFTER we get back from our California beach vacation. Something tells me that 6 hours on a plane with a 1 year old that is learning how to walk may not equal fun times.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
a walkin' talkin'
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
the many (same) faces of Chloë
she really does have many faces, but this one particularly stands out, in many different ways:
and there you have it!
an exciting weekend
there was so much going on this weekend I almost forgot everything that happened. I'm not sure if I can do the weekend justice by blogging about it days after, so the highlights will have to do. In one (run-on) sentence, here's what we did this past weekend:
Allison's first birthday party on Saturday afternoon--eccentric dinner out with Reagan, Jess and Mark at Honey Pig Korean BBQ restaurant Saturday evening-- sangrias at Coyote Grille with Bridgie and Aaron Sunday afternoon--outside play time with new birthday presents--CRASH: sunday bedtime.
In all the fun and running around, we did manage to capture a few pictures. Here are some of the best moments:
Reagan and Chloë at Allison's party
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
a big week. HUGE.
on Tuesday she took two steps. TWO REAL steps...tentative, but still--THE WERE STEPS! The third step she fell into my arms. Wednesday rolls around and while we're trying to figure out how to best encourage her to keep taking steps, she decides steps are for babies, and she's one WHOLE year old--a toddler! So, now she's going to TALK. So she waved her hand and said "bye bye." And with that my heart melted all over.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
the best first birthday party EVER!
words are simply not enough to describe exactly how much fun was there to be had at Chloë's 1st birthday party, so these will have to do:
the best cake ever, inside and out.
couldn't have asked for cuter cookies...
adorable cupcakes topped off the look.
and the cake was indeed a huge hit!
need I say more?
cake coma.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
one whole year
dear Chloë,
today you are one. You are one WHOLE year old. Earlier this week I had lunch with some friends, and one of them was 8 months pregnant, and my mind drifted off to the days when you were inside me, always close to me. The days when I could always protect you, the days when I didn't have to hold on to you because you were just always there. And then I remembered, oh yah, I never made it to 8 months...so I don't exactly remember how it is to be THAT kind of pregnant, but still, I remember your kicks, and your jabs, and OH MAN--your HICCUPS! ALL the frickin' time! You had these hiccuping fits four or five times a day, and I would look down on my belly, terribly amused at the little dance your hiccups played in my tummy. I remember everything.
I remember our hospital stay, and the contractions that lasted for three weeks, and the countless times you tried to come out and the doctors kept you inside for a little while longer. I remember the day when you finally decided enough was enough and the nurse smiled at us and said "Well, you're having a baby today..." and I just cried and cried. I remember I wanted you to stay inside so badly, even if just for a little while longer, but when you did come out, and come out in style you did--crying and everything--I was so glad to see you on the 'outside'. I remember holding you for the first time and not even noticing exactly just how tiny you were, because all I could focus on was the fact that I was finally holding you--my baby--and I remember looking down at you as you nursed for the very first time. I remember it all.
I remember bringing you home, and the car ride that lasted forever because we were probably doing 30mph on 495. I remember all those sleepless nights, and checking on you to make sure you were still breathing. I remember your first smile, and hearing that first laughter, and seeing you learn how to crawl. I remember all of it.
It is all etched in my mind, painted on my heart.
And now, you're one. You are still always close to me, always hanging on to my chest, and my shoulders. And when you're tired, or cuddly, or shy, you rest your head on my chest and sigh heavily. And I still always do all I can to protect you (as I will for the rest of my life), and you still hiccup ALL the time!
Daddy always says he wishes you could stay "this small" forever, and sometimes I wish for that too. But something inside of me tells me, that to us, you will always be this small forever, no matter how big you get. You will always be our little pumpkin, our Chloë bear who couldn't wait to be born, and actually arrived in time to party at her own baby shower.
Here's to you, may your first birthday be everything you deserve!
PS. I'm so excited you would think this is MY birthday (which in a way, I guess it is...) and now I can officially say my own birthday doesn't feel nearly as exciting to me as yours does!
on the day you were born
one year later...
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
tomorrow will be a whole new day
tonight I went in to check in on Chloë as I do every night, and she lay there sleeping all sprawled out holding on to her duckie, as she does every night. tonight I stood there for a moment longer, lingering in the faint glow of her night light, listening to her breathing, my hand on her back. I stood there watching my babe, my little pumpkin, and my heart ached with so much love. Love, love, love...like nothing I've ever known, for a little girl who turns 1 tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
checkin' in
I never get tired of it. Every night before I go to bed, I sneak into Chloë's room and check on her. I place my hand on her back for a few seconds, and then on her cheek. I think at first I started doing it to make sure she was still breathing, that she was warm enough, or cool enough. I do it every night, and I never get tired of it. Now, some nights I'm not even sure I know that I'm going in there, it's as if that nightly routine is so much a part of me, I do it without even realizing it, because I have to, because without it I wouldn't be able to fall asleep. Without it I wouldn't be me.
Monday, July 6, 2009
the fun never ends
after a great fourth of july weekend, we decided to extend the sunday funday to ensure no one got a case of the mondays! after lunch Chloë and I went to the water fountain plaza nearby and I decked her out in her surfer gear, but anticipated she'd be as aprehensive as last time we tried it. WRONG. she loved it, LOVED. IT. She squealed, and shrieked, and laughed. She giggled, and looked at me, then at the water, with her big blue (soon to be brown) eyes, and back and forth. She squealed some more, and shrieked, and laughed again. The end result: a thoroughly soaked baby, and an equally soaked mommy.
There are way too many fun pictures of our wet afternoon, so instead of picking the perfect one, I'm posting all of my favorites:
Sunday, July 5, 2009
fourth of july
after a long morning nap on her very first fourth of July, we took Chloë to the firefighter's competition in old town Fairfax. She was very impressed and fascinated by it all, but did throw a tantrum when we took her to try and get a free child identification. she's not a fan of anyone wiping her mouth or touching her fingers (cutting her nails is a production!) so she was obviously not a huge fan of the whole fingerprinting part of the process. the firefighter gave up after her third finger and much screaming, and told us to come back next year.
after lunch we watched the tug of war firefighter-style while Chloë made friends with a labrador who unlike our Kyra did not attempt to run away everytime she tried to pet her. Chloë was so excited, and shrieked every time she touched Coco!
At the end of the afternoon she also enjoyed watching the action from the very top of daddy's shoulders!
The one thing she did miss were the fireworks. She was fast asleep, and despite a neighborhood dog barking nonstop from 8-10pm, she did not wake up with either the barks or the fireworks explosion nearby.
Friday, July 3, 2009
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