Happy first birthday Skadi!

Happy Birthday Beaner!

Skadi's first birthday was on Sunday. It flew low under the radar given it was also Easter. But knowing this was likely to happen, we held her birthday party with friends on Saturday the 15th.

As a gift from us, Skadi received a swing for our pergola. She loves to go out and swing and thinks that is just great fun. While inside she will point out the window at her swing and whine, wriggling her fingers in a fashion that says, "bring that to me or me to it".

She received a number of books and other toys for her birthday. One of her favorite items is her Little People Noah's Ark from grandpa. She loves taking the top off, putting the animals in, pulling the animals out, putting the animals in... you get the idea.

I finally have a child who loves Little People! I can give into my whims without feeling guilty that the toys will go unused! She has just started getting into her Little People house as well that she received for Christmas (also from grandpa). Her other favorite is her rocking chair that arrived this evening. The biggest issue there is keeping her brother OUT of the rocking chair so she doesn't start screaming. Because while she wants to use all of his toys - she is none too willing to share her new coveted item.

One year old. Truly it seems like just yesterday I brought her home from the hospital. Now she is interactive and vocal.

I used to think Skadi would end up being "quiet", but lately I am not so sure of that. She likes to "sing" along when she hears things... even the coffee pot grinding beans has a tune for her and she humms along, "Mmmmmm!". And she has recently become "the talker" at daycare or at home where she will look you straight in the eye and start jabbering in her own language, pause and wait for you to answer. She is vocal at home... as long as her stiff competition is keeping his mouth shut.

She has said "mama" for a few months. Then came "ki-ca", which is "kitty cat", though AB denies it. He refused to let her second word be in reference to "that cat" instead of him. "Dada" was next and is a frequent declaration, probably moreso than "mama" now since... well, since she is ALWAYS in my arms. She rarely has to ask for me. She also says "hi" and "bye bye".

She is working on her first molars and so this weekend she was rather tempermental and not happy unless she was in my arms.

Skadi is standing very well by herself, and today divulged a secret to me... she has been walking 4-5 steps at a time at daycare. They told me this last week, but I refused to believe it. *My* daughter wouldn't dare hide something from me. It was some other little red haired girl in the room... they were seeing things out of the corners of their eyes. Then today on my mid-day visit, she turned around and walked away from me, all the way over to grab onto the swing.

My jaw dropped open. She smiled in her coy fashion and crawled back to me. I told her then her secret was out. Then she got up and walked over to one of the caregivers just to twist the knife a little harder.

Today they announced to me that with nine babies enrolled in the infant program and Skadi now officially over one year old, they will be bumping her up to hang with the big kids instead of opening the second infant room.

I know she will be fine. I really do adore the teacher in the next class up. But what it means to me is that she isn't my tiny little baby anymore. *They* are going to start using the "t" word in referring to her...

Toddler.

Skadi is a really amazing eater. I am going to say this again just because it is not something I have ever been able to say with my other child... Skadi is an amazing eater. Though my MIL does argue with me that my son does eat amazingly well... at least compared to his cousins! (This, of course, made my day and has been etched permanently in my head in that there is something my kid does better than his cousins! No competition, you know.)

Skadi is a meat eater. Leif was not - he was/is carb boy. Skadi will eat her carbs, but give that child chicken or beef, or as we discovered at our friend's house on Sunday - ham and she chows. She will carefully sort out and pick out the meat out of a pile of food in front of her. Give her a dinosaur chicken nugget - whole - and the child is in heaven as she giggles while holding it. Then she will eat it and usually a second one too.

Another difference with food is even if she doesn't like something, she continues to eat it. You might get a funky face with every single bite, but she will eat it!

She started some whole milk this weekend and had her first sippy cup of 50% strength apple juice. She was indifferent towards the milk and thinks that apple juice is the bees knees. (Not surprising.)

Skadi loves to give nice, big, open-mouthed, sloppy kisses. She responds with a "kiss" everytime someone says "kissy" and sticks their lips out. She loves giving kisses to everyone, though Leif is her main target and his kisses come without warning or solicitation. This morning she crawled up while Leif was on my lap and went full on into his face planting a big kiss on his lips. She thought it was hilarious.

And Leif, thankfully, did too.

Skadi has one hero in her life right now. Mommy and daddy, they are fine. But put Leif in front of her and she howls with laughter. She does everything she can to keep up with him, play with him, and to be his shadow. On Easter at our friend's house, the kids were going up and down a small plastic slide. Skadi wanted to be part of that in a bad, bad way. Every few minutes, we would slow down the preschoolers so that she could go up and slide down. It was utter pain and misery for the kids to slow down for her, but at least then she felt involved. Next year she will be right in the mix!

Skadi will start at the other school in June and we are very anxious for this. We are supposed to be picking her teacher, but might resort to requesting her name goes in the hat for the draw between the two teachers. Truly, either teacher would be great and we just keep waffling between the two. Picking one, in my own mind, is the same as rejecting the other. And I just can't do that.

Skadi is one year old. How did this happen? I know it sounds cliche, but it has gone way too fast.

I have a lot more confidence this time around. I care a lot less about what other moms think. I never thought that two would be so hard. Yet I never thought parenting the second would come so easily and naturally. I have spent way too much money on cute clothes in the past year... quite likely more this coming year. And I have been amazed at how love isn't divided, but grows with the addition of another child.

Happy birthday Skadi!