She's One!

One year ago today I woke up in the morning and called the hospital as instructed to confirm my check-in time for my schedule c-section. The nurse told me that we might have to postpone. I nearly cried. I had been having contractions every day, most of the day, for eight weeks now. I had been in Germany for over two months waiting for her arrival. JB had flown over the night before and was here and waiting. Please don't make me wait another day, two days. Please! The nurse called back. They had room. It was time.

I will never forget the moment that the doctors pulled down that blue sheet that blocks my view and lifted Abigail Grace Kitsteiner up for me to see. She was screaming! I hadn't realized that this was how it was supposed to be. Obviously, with Isaac, his adoption meant not seeing him at the moment he was born. And then with Elijah, he was doing so badly at birth that they wisked him away. But here, now, was a perfectly healthy little girl. And she was screaming and crying. And she was a girl! I had a daughter!

In the first year of her life she travelled to Germany, Turkey, the Azores, Greece, and the United States. Here are a few other highlights of the last twelve months of her life. Abigail ...

• Is an absolute MONKEY. She climbs on everything and anything. Puts her brothers to shame. Under tables, on top of tables, in closets, onto bookshelves, any nook or cubby she can find.
• definitely enjoys Scrubs but is not as infatuated with him as her brothers (especially Isaac) was.
• Is saying "Ma Ma" and "Da Da". She also says some form of "Dis" when she points to things.
• Adores her brothers. Absolutely idolizes them and laughs so hard when they play with her.
• Is walking (although she is definitely still using the crawl when she wants to right now.)
• Eats everything we eat (she actually never really ate any baby food -- went nearly straight to table food.)
• is not very interested in books at all yet although we have seen her just start to find a bit of interest in touch and feel books.
• loves to lay her head down on soft things like rugs or blankets or beds.
• loves to play with bikes and balls; doesn't really care much for any other toys at this point.
• is wearing size 18 month clothes.
• is wearing size 4 shoe.
• sleeps from 7pm to 7am nearly every day without fail and then naps from 9-11 and 2-4 nearly every day as well.
• likes almost all foods; very good eater.
• doesn't have much stranger anxiety currently.
• loves to take a bath.
• Signing all done regularly now.
• enjoys the big pool but especially loves when we fill up her little pool and let her splash away.
• loves walks in her strollers.
• prefers mom and dad equally.