Happy 1.5 Jesse

I'm going to assume you have forgiven me for the lapse in posts. I won't go on and on about how I'm going to try to do this 2 or 3 times a week and take as well as post more pics as well.

Jesse is one and a half today. Everyone always says...."It goes by sooooo fast"....and it does....and it doesn't. There were so many times the days would drag by. Having Jesse has in a way disconnected me from part of the life I knew before. Not working outside of the home has decreased my small talk skills and my desire to have conversations with people. Part of it is when Jesse was younger, even when you are around other people you are worried about her crying, getting into things, diaper messes, forgetting an item in the diaper bag, or trying to match her nap with the car ride home so she wouldn't scream so much she would vomit in her car seat. (Which happened more than you would think) Your mind is usually somewhere else and you do lose part of yourself.

Last year people would say..."Oh I bet you can't imagine life without her..." and I'd think..."uhhhhh...yeah....I can. And that life looks like heaven"....Those first 6 months....man they were tough. I think she was a semi easy baby....but wow...she did not let me out of her sight and would barely let anyone besides Ron hold her much at all.

Jesse had to fall asleep to a vacuum cleaner and sometimes that is the only thing that would stop her crying. In the evenings we would turn it on and I would take her into the bathroom and turn the lights off and just sway her. She would get fussy in the evening for the first 3 months and it was a constant stress. Ron would be gone during the week and when he would come home Friday night I was so ready for some help.

Today...I absolutely can't imagine my life without her. I am sooo very lucky to be able to stay at home with her. She is so funny and silly and smart. She makes incredibly entertaining faces and she likes to kiss and pet my back. She dances like no one is watching and dances even better when everyone is watching. She has a terribly evil laugh when she chases me with a water hose and she has mastered her fake laugh. She is extremely neat and doesn't like things to be out of order which makes me think my real baby is living in a pristine home with a frustrated mother that doesn't understand why her daughter is so messy. She waves at everyone she sees and is observant of everything. She has had MRI's, chest x-rays, surgery removing 2 hemangiomas, 4 different Emergency Room visits, 6 hospitals, an IV infiltrate with a third degree burn, a diagnosis of asthma, a near incubation, and one week in ICU.

She puts a smile in my heart and joy to my life.

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This past week we had a visit from my mom's first cousin Nesa and her daughter Delaney from Pittsburgh. Delaney turned 13 and when asked what trip she would like to take her requests were 1) to take a plane ride and 2) to come see Jesse. How sweet is that???

They got here Saturday and forced Ron and I to leave the house. We left for a night and came back Sunday night. Delaney is soooo good with children and will be an incredible babysitter!!! We had a great time and can't wait till they come back.

We have been trying to do some craft items recently, but unfortunately for Jesse, Mommy is not the best at arts and crafts. So play do and finger paint will do for now until I learn some other things.

Here is Jesse today......Happy 1.5!!!