it's a birthday! sort of...

I've been thinking a lot about our Miss Metta and the year we've had with her.  And then I discovered the perfect documentation of our year.  All of the cell phone pics I sent to kent. The good, the bad, and the ugly.  I think it's a pretty good representation of the past 12 months of Metta.

Remember that super creepy halloween ultrasound?!  good thing she didn't come out looking like a zombie.

and that LONG LONG LONG leap day last year.  She barely squeezed herself out to be a leapling!!

and then we had a few 'honeymoon' days.  She slept a lot.  

and then suddenly it was terrible.  the broken baby.  weeks and weeks of screaming. and tears.  and not just from her.  Did I ever document the bruised baby head story?  One day Zeb stepped on her head.  It really wasn't a big deal- she was fine.  I told Kent about it when he got home and he examined her head. He discovered all sorts of dark spots and discoloration all over the top.  He was worried until I told him the spots were actually my dried mascara all over her head.  From when we both just sat and cried.  She was so difficult for awhile there.

 We adjusted and dealt with her.  Found her favorite sleeping spots.  and her favorite ways to be wrapped.


During the rough weeks- it felt like an eternity.  But eventually- she got better. less broken. a lot cuter.

okay- maybe she was still goofy looking.



but at least she started smiling eventually.  It took her a lot longer than the rest of my kiddos.  Like almost four full months to give good smiles!!

 but then she never stopped giving them!  she's still the most joyous of our children!

How amazing is that baby phase where they can sit up and entertain themselves- but not move at all.  Oh so easy and wonderful.

 oh yeah- and one day she woke up and her hair started sprouting like crazy.  It literally just happened one day.

 and then out of the blue she became a real person.

 
 and that phase that we all hate.  so many books and dvds to pull off shelves OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!

Oh- and here are a few of our rough days.  I send these types of pics to Kent just so he knows what he's missing.  and in what state to expect me when he gets home!

snotty noses, teething, colds, tantrums.

It's been a fabulous year buttercup!!  Happy birthday!!!

with this whole leap year birthday thing- it has been hard trying to decide what day to celebrate her birthday!!  We started today and I think we'll just carry on through the weekend!!