This Week in Mommyhood

I decided to keep doing these weekly letters. It's a great way for me to remember all the little things I found special and to keep you guys updated on my motherhood journey. Each week is more special than the last and I don't want to forget a thing.

Cati is obsessed with bubbles. We introduced them to her a few weeks back and she quickly caught on to what they were and how to make them happen. Last week she would grab the bottle and blow when she wanted bubbles. This week she actually says "bubble" when she gets the bottle! She still blows and brings us the bubbles but it's amazing how quickly she catches on to things.

I haven't been putting bows in her hair for a while now because as soon as she feels something in her hair, she grabs it, pulls it out, and either hands it to me or tries to put it in my hair (heart melts!). The only way I can get bows to stay is if she doesn't notice me putting one on, which is very difficult. Her distaste for bows has spread to her socks. I like to keep her in socks around the house; she likes to be barefoot every second she gets. The funny thing is that she will pull them off and then try to put them back on but when I put them on she yanks them right off.

Cati had her 12-month appointment this week and Alex was amazed by her. Not only is she weighing 22 lbs and is 30" long, but she also takes vaccinations like a champ. Alex held her arms down (she didn't fight back) and she watched as the needle went in and came out. She had a delayed reaction and cried after the needle was already out, but that's it. At her last appointment she did the same thing and I was amazed at how intrigued she was by the needle. If that were me, I would have turned away, said my ABCs, and asked someone to hold my hand.

Cati got her first cold! At first, I thought it was a reaction to the vaccines but then Alex and I got sick too. Luckily, the cold for her was short lived and it was two days of a runny nose and tossing and turning at night. Other than seeing boogies ooze out of her nose and trouble sleeping, you would have never known she was sick because of how active and playful she was. She's such a little trooper.

I've given Cati her spoon in the past but this week I gave her the fork to try out. She understood that food went on the fork but didn't have the coordination to actually do it. I would fork little pieces of chicken nugget onto the fork and she would then move the fork to her mouth. The really impressive thing was that after a few times of me doing this, she tried to do it too. Again, she's catching on so quickly to things that I am constantly reminder of her growing status.

Cati turned one this past week. Valentine's Day in our house was spent celebrating her birthday. My mother-in-law brought her a little cheesecake cupcake and Cati had some with her dinner. I think I am going to give her cheesecake for her birthday every year now as a new tradition. There were no tears or moments of sadness. My daughter turned one and she's so amazing now that all I want to do is look forward to the days where I can braid her hair, hear about her day, cuddle with her, and share mommy-daughter secrets.