Holy cow! When did you become one? I sit here and contemplate the last year and I am amazed that it went by so quickly. It always does. People say that all the time..."they grow so fast"...and the fact is...they do. You are a great big one year old...and I am quickly losing my baby.
I know almost every parent has to accept that when they have a baby, they only have that baby for a very short period of time. Babies become toddlers, toddlers become kids, kids become teenagers, etc... It is the rules of being a parent. That is why, on the rare occasion I get asked advice about having a baby, I always tell the person to wait until they want a kid, because the baby part is such a short part of the life you will create. And frankly, while baby is cute, toddler to kid rocks!
It is so unbelievably fun to see you learn; to see the curiosity in you as you have figured out how to sit, then crawl, then pull yourself up and walk around things. Books are your best friend and you will sit for long periods of time turning pages and pointing out the pictures. You love to sit in baskets. Laundry baskets are like little ships to you. We put you in with a blanket and a few books and you will sit a read. Your brothers think it is great fun to take you for rides in the baskets. You giggle and jabber the whole time. Playing with you is so much fun, because you LOVE to play!
You love to boogie! Which makes sense given your genetics. Daddy loves music and always prefers to listen to music while doing anything. Mom and Dad will often dance in the kitchen while making dinner or cleaning. The big kids join in and you have found your groove lately too! All of the toys that you got for your birthday play music and you will dance along with any or all of them as they play. It is really quite cute! For the moment these toys aren't driving Mom or Dad completely insane...simply because they make you so happy! So, Grandma Porter isn't in trouble for buying you the really really really annoying talking/singing mail box.
The last few months, and your ability to crawl and walk around things, has accelerated your desire to be with and like the big kids. You always want to be where they are and play with them. Mom and Dad...well we just suck most days. Breena, Dana, Drake and Brit are where it is at! They have stuff...stuff you can get into...and they think you are still cute...so they let you get into their stuff! In fact, you have been so enabled that now you feel entitled to anything and everything that you can see! And when you don't get it...you make THE NOISE!
What is THE NOISE? It is hard to describe because it is more of a feeling than a noise. It is the sound you make when you are displeased with something. It could be anything...or nothing. We can never really tell what it is that you want. But when you make THE NOISE, we will literally do anything to make you stop. THE NOISE is a sound so annoying that it cuts to the very heart and soul. It could bring a grown man to his knees...and has! THE NOISE is even worse than the cry! Oh how we wish for the cry back! At least that we could stop with a bottle! THE NOISE is a sort of whine that you make incessantly, even after we have given you what we think you want! BUT...and I say that with my index finger pointed directly up in the air...we are on to your little plan! We have a way to combat THE NOISE...and it is called...THE CRIB! You are learning about time out! AND...the word NO! You shall not defeat us. For we are your parents and while we may have lost a few battles...we will not lose the war!
Luckily for us sweet bug, you are very smart and are catching on to what NO means very quickly. We are hoping that is a good sign and not just your way of collecting re-con before issuing out a blitzkrieg of toddler hell! You are the fifth kid...so just in case you were thinking we were tired and worn down from the other four...you should be warned. I have had 6 years to recover and regain my strength and Daddy is brand spanking new to the toddler world. We are not about to go easy on you...
About a week before your first birthday...maybe a little more than a week, but in the general time frame...you sprouted your first two teeth! FINALLY! I was really worried that there were no teeth in your head and we were going to have to explain to your first grade teacher why you were still on a liquid diet at 6. Seriously...I had nightmares. Thankfully the two on the bottom poked their way through on the same day. You went to bed with no teeth and woke up with two. Since then your baby senses have come alive and you have figured out that your mouth is for stuffing! You put everything in your mouth...like a normal kid! Again...I was having nightmares that I would have to explain to that same first grade teacher that not only were you on a liquid diet, but that he/she would have to feed you because you refused to put anything in your mouth! It was a little weird! But now...we all can relax, because you can now put not only food in your mouth, but small items off the carpet and garbage! Go Kaylee!
It is so fun to see you growing and changing. I have enjoyed seeing your big brothers and sisters develop and grow. Kids get funner as they get bigger and you are just like your siblings. I can't wait to see you walk, hear you talk, and listen to you jabber incessantly about sponge bob/dora/current obsession. Your giggle and baby talk makes every member of our home happy from Daddy all the way down to Brit. You connect us all together and for that I am so grateful!
We love you Sweet Kaylee bug! Happy Birthday!
Love,
Mommy
