11 Months: Whoa Baby
As I type those words, eleven months, I feel this anxious skip in my heart.
How can it be that my baby, born in such beautiful fashion, is speeding toward measuring age in years, rather than months? I mean, I should know this is coming, right? Six kids. Not my first rodeo.
But, still.
I am in disbelief that our first year with Gianna is nearing the end. I adore her beyond belief and every morning I wake up and think, “Praise Jesus, she’s still nursing and I can call her my baby!” That moment is never lost on me. I’ve seen too much to waste that love.
The kids are still arguing over who gets to hold her first when they bound in the door from school. They barely get out a “hey Mom” as they load into the van before I hear the chorus of:
“I want to hold her.”
“No, I asked first!”
“Huh-uh, you held her first yesterday!”
“Mom, that’s not fair!”
I love it.
She is #thisclose to crawling. Gianna has figured out how to get up on all fours and go from that to sitting. She rocks and then pushes herself backward. Once she figures out that those legs can move forward? Look out. No lego or piece of artwork will be safe. Today? Today, I caught her eating paper off the floor.
She’s sporting EIGHT teeth. Yes, she’s bitten me once while nursing and I almost passed out from the pain. But, that was three weeks ago, so praying it was a one-time deal. Someone asked how long I’ll keep it up. You’re asking the wrong person. I’ve nursed all my babies to a year and then after that, the weaning is up to them. I do know that once my body hits four feedings, it’s touch and go on my milk supply. I can already tell it’s starting to wane even though I’m pounding the water. Time will tell.
Lately, she’s been doing this grin and eye squint. I need to get that on film. It’s ridiculously adorable.
She’s still eating baby food, but has decided that Cheerios, yogurt melts and fruit puffs aren’t too bad. I’m guessing in another six weeks she’ll be on table food? Who knows. I’m finding that transition to be horribly stressful because it is triggering some major PTSD from Luke’s four-year battle with food. I’m cutting myself some slack and we’re taking it slow.
Praise Jesus that she’s sleeping through the night. Most nights I nurse her and put her in the crib around 7:30pm and then have to wake her at 7am. On a good day, she’ll take two naps, but I think she’s trying to give up the morning nap. I’m in negotiations with her to keep it until the fall. We’ll see who wins.
She loves being fed, snuggling, grabbing my glasses, seeing her brothers and sisters and being kissed. Good thing, because she gets approximately 1,354,379 a day. Gianna is the happiest, most laid back baby around. I can cart her anywhere and she’s perfectly content.
Basically, we’re smitten with her and we’re soaking up these last few weeks before she hits the big ONE. Word on the street is her birthday will be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
I think you could probably still call her your baby even if she weren’t still nursing.
She is such a little cutie!
She is so cute. My “baby” is three and the 5 older kids still fight to sit next to him, wake him up and whatever they think is fun. It is very sweet and a true affirmation to the blessings of siblings even amongst the quarreling.
PAX,
Lisa
Goodness Kathryn – she is just too much!! What an absolute sweetheart! And glad to hear you two are no longer burning the midnight oil together 🙂 I think seeing the older kids love on our Liv is one of my heart’s greatest blessings….and I’m sure it’s even more so for you with 5 doting fans! I CAN NOT wait to see this partay!!!
Pray for my sanity. Two birthdays and a First Communion in three weeks just may put me in the crazy house. But also – joy overload. My heart cannot take it!
LOVE!
By the way, my “baby” will turn 49 June 28, he has seven children, and I still call him my baby!
Almost one?!?!?! Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday that I was doing your maternity photos. She’s just gorgeous. I love her dress. 😉 That smile is too darn cute. She will be your baby until the day you die, and you can always call her your baby, no matter how old she gets.
I know. I KNOW!! Thought you might like that dress. It is a family favorite now and every time she wears it, I think of you.
Aww, she is so sweet! And your thoughts on how she is still your baby and how you guys are going to take it slow made me tear up. Love of a child is such a beautiful gift!
I wonder if you might write a post sometime on how to recover from PTSD after a complicated pregnancy/ birth/ medical complexities. I would love to read it! I only have one so far and it has been a whirlwind of surgeries and medical stuff for more than 2 years, but he is absoluetly the joy of my life and I love him so much! We would love to have more children and know we hopefully will, but I would love some tips on how to let some of the PTSD go and joyfully embrace the next pregnancy, etc. I love your blog and your wisdom as a mother is very inspiring to me! 🙂
I have toyed and prayed about that many times. You may just see a post about that in the very near future 😉