{one}

I love hearing the kids talk over their monitor.  This morning they woke up and were talking, then all of the sudden Piper said, “It’s baby’s party day!”  {translation: birthday}  Rosemary and Henry followed that up with excited voices saying, “Oh!!  Party day!  Happy party day!”  Then they sang, “Oh Party Day” a few times.  {translation:  the “Happy Birthday” song}

I can’t believe that my baby girl Penelope turned one today.  It seems like just yesterday that I was in and out of the hospital and then on bedrest with her.  I’m still amazed that she was born term at her scheduled c-section.  She has been a true joy.  Well, that time from 6-10 months when she didn’t sleep at night wasn’t entirely pure joy, but we managed and at least I was spending time with a wonderful baby!  She is the happiest, sweetest baby I could ever have asked for.  And of course she’s pretty darn cute, too!

What I love most is watching her with the bigger kids.  From the time they first met her at the hospital, they are so careful around her, but at the same time they treat her like she is one of them.  And boy does she think she is one of them.  She now eats every meal with the big kids, and as soon as they start crawling into their seats at the table she crawls over to her high chair, stands up, and bangs on it until we put her in it.  She always wants to be with them, right in the middle of everything and laughing.  If she isn’t with the big kids, like when they go to school or church camp, they are always asking where she is and why she isn’t with them.

I know that Penelope could walk, but so far she has only taken a couple of steps on her own.  She can stand without pulling up on anything, and will walk everywhere just holding on to one of our hands, but she hasn’t quite figured out that she can do that on her own.  Once she does, I’m quite sure that she will never sit down again.

Penelope talks a good bit.  In addition to the words she’s had, she now says, “eat,” “done,” “book,” “shoes,” “door,” and so many other words.   

Right now Penelope still has only 6 teeth.  It seems like she hasn’t gotten any new teeth in months.  Part of me wants her to just get in the next set all at once again.  It’s rough for those few days, but then it’s over. . . .

We have Penelope’s one year check-up in the morning, so we’ll get her stats then.  I had to take her to the pediatrician a couple of weeks ago for a sinus infection, and she was 19 pounds 14 ounces then, so I’m hoping she will be over 20 pounds tomorrow.  She is now wearing clothes that Rosemary wore last summer.  She has outgrown most of her 12 month things, and wears a lot of 12-18 month or 18 month clothes.  I have a feeling that she will be as big as Rosemary pretty soon and it will look like we have either two sets of twins or quads.

One thing that makes Penelope very different from her siblings are her hair color and eye color.  Her hair is now strawberry blonde and her eyes are green.  I do think that her eyes seem to be turning brown, but I suppose that only time will tell whether they do turn brown in the end. 

At Penelope’s appointment tomorrow we will also find out whether she is able to start on whole milk.  Then I’ll start weaning myself off the breastpump and will just nurse Penelope in the morning when she wakes up and at night before bed.  Honestly, I don’t think that I’m going to have a hard time weaning off the breastpump as my supply has taken a complete and total nosedive the last two weeks.  I haven’t fought it much, mostly because I know that will make things easier later when I quit.  I was hoping to maintain enough of a supply to nurse Penelope in the morning and at night for a while, but I don’t think that will happen once I stop pumping.  Despite my worries throughout this past year about running out of breastmilk, I never even used frozen breastmilk for Penelope.  We have a freezerful of it, plus some more in another freezer.  Luckily, I have a friend who is going to take it off my hands to use as a back-up supply for her baby.

Saturday is Penelope’s birthday party, and I can’t wait.  We are going to have so much fun.  And I’ll have TONS of photos then, too! 

Happy Birthday my sweet Penelope!!