One sleepy baby

Natalie was so tired today that she literally fell asleep in her high chair while eating her special "pasta". Yeah, the girl is special! I thought it was hysterical that the lil' thing just passed out, pasta sauce everywhere!

She had a rough day today and was very cranky. She bit me a few times so I'm assuming she's getting another tooth somewhere. She did say her first word today (besides mama, dada, and fa fa (flower). I will try to catch that on video for tomorrow! She says "Brother". It is the cutest thing because she walks around looking for Brendan.

I just got home from an outing at the Whole Foods section of Shaws. I found many things that are gluten free, wheat free, egg and dairy free that have rice flour in them. So this week we will try to reintroduce rice. Please wish her luck because she is at a point where she wants NOTHING to do with baby food. She wants to eat with the big kids! I'll keep ya updated!

Hair and the Grasshopper

Here is another video I shot of Della today which cracked me up. Oh boy, I'm going to have to do a video of the week so you guys wont' get bored!

What is that smell?

Here is a video of Della telling the world what is so smelly!

A new "do"

Yesterday I took Brendan and Samantha to the hairdressers (Barber shop) to get their school hair cuts.
Brendan is his usual, Samantha only took about an inch off. Delaney, seeing her sister get a hair cut, begged to let her get one as well. At first I said no, but the hairdresser turned around and looked at her frizzy mop and declared her hair to be "dead" at the bottom and that I should really cut it to even her out. So I did. Here is Della with her first big girl haircut, a bob! I cannot believe it. She loves it and keeps walking around saying how pretty she is. At first I thought it looked like someone stuck a bowl over her head, but it looks pretty when you mess it up a bit. LOL. Is this child not the clone of her father? It's Brian with a bob!

 

 

A very special present

Yesterday I opened my mail to find a very special present. It was a beautiful blanket from my friend, Kat, and it was inscribed "Happy 1st Birthday Natalie Paige". I have wrapped it around her every chance I get. The blanket brings back such sweet memories of my grandmother, Mema, who made blankets for all of my children when they were babies. She made one for Brendan, and although unable to knit when I was pregnant with Samma, she gave me one that she had started for me as a "just in case". When Delaney was born a friend from nursing school made her one, but Natalie didn't have that special blankie.

So thank you Kat for bringing me such a sweet memory on such a sweet day. Such a perfect gift for such a sweet little girl. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to me and such an awesome "fairy godmother" to Natalie. It meant more than you will ever know.

So here is my angel sleeping with her blankie wrapped around her the same way I know my grandmother would have wrapped her arms around her. And here is a sweet photo of her sitting in a chair, blankie in the background.

 

 

The Birthday Cupcake.....

Well her 1st birthday is almost over and what fun she had. We made her special "gluten free" cupcakes and frosting (I only added water and no margarine or soy milk to the mix). She loved it as you can see. Natalie, however, has not had such a fabulous day. As you can probably see by looking at her skin and eyes, she has been in pain all day, scratching and breaking out in welts. So I have been giving her Benadryl, but the poor kid is still miserable. I thought she might be coming down with something, so let's keep our fingers crossed that she will be ok. Although itchy beyond belief, and with Benadryl not offering any relief, I'm hoping she makes it through the night without incident. Let's hope she feels better in the morning. She did however, love her cupcakes.......what do you think?

 

 

 

 

Where has the year gone?

Happy Birthday Natalie Paige Welch. At 6:45 p.m. on August 28th you came into the world. I cannot believe that a year has passed. I cannot believe that a year ago you came into the world hollering, screaming, pinched and swollen! How cute you have gotten my darling baby girl! The head full of hair, the bright blue eyes, the beautiful rosy cheeks and the pink bow lips. I love to just look at you every day. Life has been a challenge with you in our lives, but you have overcome many hurdles in your short-lived life. Through the allergies, the acid-reflux, the surgeries you have come through it all like a trooper. Now we are off to toddler land, where you are no longer that tiny little baby. You are, however, very mischevous and are so strong willed (much more than your siblings). You are cuddly, yet not too cuddly. You are happy, but need lots of attention. You are into everything and we call you "Whodini" for the cabinet locks you can undo, for the tactics of escaping the house that you pull off, and for the gates you can climb. You are truly a "spirited" child and I love you more than anything.

So happy 1st birthday baby girl. I love you too much.