Graduation From Babyhood

Happy First Birthday Ada! One year ago today, Ada was born. She has certainly changed a lot since then (as have Alison and I). Most of the time it has been fun to have a baby around the house. I remember back before she was born and it was hard to imagine how it would be once she was born. Once she was born, everything seems to happen so quickly and we were so exhausted that everything seems to run together. Thanks to everybody who helped us out during Ada's first year.

I think that I enjoy her now more than when she was just a tiny baby. I love being able to interact with her. I love is when she crawls up to me and screams with delight when I get home from work or school each day. I even try and time my arrival so she's not napping and not sitting in her chair eating when I get home because it's so fun to have her come and stand up next to me waiting for me to pick her up.

She is such a good sleeper. In the last 6-8 months, she would rarely wake up in the night and when she did, we knew that she was sick or teething. Last night she woke up around 10:00 PM (she's teething) and I went in a rocked her back to sleep (she won't normally let us do that). I didn't want to get up because I enjoy so much when she is asleep in my arms.

I'm glad that Alison can stay home with Ada. It allows us to have a much greater flexibility in doing things and I think that they both benefit from it enormously. I don't exactly love going to work each day (who does?) but I know that I am doing it for them and that makes it a whole lot easier.

I've always loved going on walks (and more recently hiking) with Ada. She's always enjoyed them and she seems to enjoy them even more so now that she gets to relax in a backpack on my sweaty back while I toil and struggle up the hills. I think she knows what's going on but she always talks to us and babbles to keep us interested and awake.

Happy Birthday Ada, I love you!

ps. read Alison's post about Ada here.