September 9, 2005 at 12:18 p.m.
8 lbs 2 oz & 20 1/8 inches
Taylor prayed for an entire year that she would have a "baby brother, baby brother, baby brother" (just like that). As soon as she found out she was going to be a big sister she immediately changed her mind and wanted a little sister!
She was thrilled when Kaitlyn finally arrived!
On the way home from the hospital...sound asleep! If only that would last. We were spoiled when Taylor slept through the night at 6 weeks old. Oh no, not my Kaitlyn Bell! It took A LOT longer for her to finally sleep through the night. I remember one night lying in bed with Nathan exhausted when I told him that I KNEW she was going to have to be fed every two hours. What I had forgotten was that I someone (ME) was going to have to get up to feed her.
Kaitlyn's 1st Halloween. She was the most beautiful flower and that delicious baby smell was a nice touch.
Kaitlyn has loved pancakes since she started eating solid food and some things never change. She still asks for them every single morning! She calls them "pam-pakes".
Kaitlyn's 1st Birthday. I just love this picture! All the family was able to come and celebrate her 1st birthday with her. Unfortunately it rained and all 24 of us ended up inside our tiny little house. Oh, well it was "cozy"!
Kaitlyn's 2nd Halloween! She was the cutest lady bug ever, but still didn't quite get the trick-or-treat thing.
Then when she was 18 months old she had to have her front tooth extracted! I wish I could forget the entire experience, but it is etched in my mind forever. She was playing on our back porch when she pulled the play kitchen on top of her. She chipped both front teeth and they were very loose. We took her to a pediatric dentist and the one tooth had become abscessed so they recommended immediate extraction. My heart broke that day as I watched my child suffer. I knew I had the power to stop it, but realized that it was something that had to be done. I call her my little snaggle tooth! Very cute if I say so myself!
Kaitlyn's 2nd Birthday. We didn't have a big family party this year, but we did enjoy a nice dinner out with Grandma & Grandpa Watkins, Aunt K.C. & Amber, Mommy & Daddy and of course we didn't forget big sister Taylor. Later that week we went to Taylor's favorite play spot...The Fun Center and it soon became Kaitlyn's favorite play spot too!
Kaitlyn's 3rd Halloween. She IS Tinker Bell, well at least my Tinker Bell. Given her middle name it makes for a perfect fit! I was so excited when her hair was long enough for the poof on top!
Kaitlyn was bald for such a long time. I remember how thrilled I was when her hair began to grow and I could do two piggy tails! Incidentally they didn't even last through all of sacrament meeting at church.
One of my many favorite things about my Kaitlyn Bell is her laugh! She loves to laugh. She loves life and enjoys it! I hope this is a characteristic she continues to have all through her life. I love her smile!
Kaitlyn is always on the go! Just when I think I've caught up with her, she is off again on the next adventure! I love it...well most of the time!
What little girl doesn't like baby dolls? The funny thing is that with the baby comes the "where's my purse, my phone, my sunglasses and my keys?" I guess you can't have a baby without the accessories that go with it.
Although Kaitlyn is the "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of girl, she still has those moments when she stops, listens and ponders what you are trying to teach her! She is a very sensitive child. You can see the hurt in her eyes and almost feel it yourself with just one look from her.
There are four things that keep a baby a baby: a bottle, a pacifier, diapers and car seat! Like every good mother I was proud to report to the pediatrician at her one year check up that she was off of the bottle and using sippy cups. Then came the pacifier. Now I didn’t want to be too mean so I waited until she was 18 months to wean her from the pacifier. Okay so she wasn’t using a bottle or a pacifier anymore, but certainly she was still a baby. She had to be a baby because I was still changing diapers. Diapers with tinkle and poop, stinky poop, of course she was still a baby (MY BABY)!
Then she turned two and someone asked if she was potty trained. I simply replied, “No not yet, she’s only two”. They politely agreed that two was a little young and quickly changed the subject. I didn’t care what they thought. She was my baby and had absolutely no interest in potty training. I tried from time to time to sit her on the toilet, but she had no interest and to be completely honest I was in no hurry to do it either. I would hear myself saying, “Oh, she’ll do it when she is ready!” or “I don’t want to push her”. What I really meant was “I’m not ready to see my baby in little girl panties” and “it could possibly break my heart”. Well potty training happened over night! She decided she liked getting lollipops, bubble gum and stickers and literally trained herself overnight. So three of those four things that I mentioned earlier which keep a baby a baby are gone and we just have one more to go. Earlier this summer we were driving home from church and Nathan had the audacity to ask me when we can put Kaitlyn in a booster seat like Taylor. I simply replied, “NEVER”!
I wish I could keep my Kaitlyn a baby forever! The sad, but simple truth is that she isn't a baby anymore. The crib is in the attic. The bottles have all been put away. She rarely even uses a sippy cup anymore. She speaks in complete sentences, goes to school and loves playdates with friends! The snuggle under the crook of my neck has turned into a lean forward for a half hug around my legs. She is growing up and I miss my baby! I am enjoying the little girl she is, excited to see the big girl she is becoming and even more eager to see the young woman she will be someday! The minutes have turned into hours, the hours into days, the days into months, the months into years and the years will someday turn into eternity! For now I will cherish the "moments", the little things she'll say, the funny things she'll do, and the memories she'll give me! Happy, happy birthday my Kaitlyn Bell!
5 comments:
Beautifully done as always! She is a doll!
shessooocuute
I was just looking at Abby today and thinking "my baby isn't an infant anymore." She is definitely a toddler. It's amazing how fast it goes!
Kaitlyn made up for her lack of her with her gorgeous curls.
Happy birthday Kaitlyn!! She is so adorable, Jodi. What a beautiful post.
Happy Birthday Kaitlyn!! She is growing too quick, but is so cute with that little twinkle in her eye.
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