This has been a tough week. Having really only been sick for one day... January 5th, 2009 (my first day back at work...such a terrible day!) Samara came down with something drastic on Monday night. At first it seemed like just a cold but then the doctor diagnosed her with the flu and a double ear infection. The poor thing! She has been so sick, not eating, not sleeping, not breathing hardly. She's projectile vomited a few times and my heart has been aching to no end for her little body to heal. She's lost a pound and a half already, but gratefully this morning she began to eat again. She's since been asleep for four hours! This is the beginning of her turn around, I pray. The incredible thing is that despite her terrible bout of yuckiness, her spirit has been beautiful. Whether she is squeezing out her smiles for us or visitors passing through in between her nasty coughs or throw-ups, or the way she uses all her might to army crawl across the bed to lay her head down on my tummy or play one more round of peek-a-boo, I have been so proud of her resilience and heart. She is being baptized this Sunday at church, at the very special Summer Lighthouse services, the same lighthouse that was home to our first kiss, proposal and wedding day beauty... I am sure she'll be almost 100% by then.
Photos from Samara's Big Day
http://picasaweb.google.com/victoriadosch/SamaraSFirstBirthday#slideshow/5349010362822230594
I never thought it would mean this much, get me so excited, want me to stop the clocks at every tick of a second, but here I sit, forty-four minutes before the BIG DAY and I'm so excited for our little girl's first birthday! How I have longed to officially celebrate her life like this, with all of our family here and so many special treats. Every day is a gift but this is her FIRST BIRTHDAY and I have so much to celebrate.
Samara has been keeping us entertained upstairs. A couple days ago I went in to get her and found her face covered in white specks. I thought she had chewed up her one little book there but knew it couldn't be that really. A few moments later, I deduced she had gnawed her crib rail down to the wood. I was horrified and washed her mouth out with water and called Carter's to make sure there were no deadly chemicals or lead in the paint. Luckily there aren't, but I've had to repeat the mouth wash-out a couple of times and I think she's gotten the point. Either that or she's run out of paint in her favorite corner where she spies on us!
In other news, Samara has learned how to take her pants off, and her diaper! And boy, is it ever so funny (to her). She has mastered the sarcastic "ha" noise and will do it incessantly until you laugh yourself. It's the same noise, coupled with a very flirtatious head-tilt, that she uses to get the male life guard's attention at the pool. Yes, only males. Poor thing, you'd think she'd never had a boy's attention in her life, let alone the bounteous adoration of her dada, Big Papi, GSR, three besotted uncles and many more fellows in line.
And goodness, her birthday is in four days! How can that be?! I've been busy, busy, busy making a scrapbook and slideshow of her 1st year that I will share with you when you come and see our... one year old! Until then... enjoy a few photos of our first actual trip to the beach (not just walk along) and rest assured you'll get plenty more where these came from soon!
June...! Samara's birth month! How can it be?! I find myself more and more overwhelmed with love and appreciation for our little girl as her first year milestone draws in. I passed some 1st birthday balloons on Saturday on the way to the gym and actually started to cry thinking about it all! Hopefully by the 18th I'll be stocked up on sleep and sugared cupcakes to avoid such overflowing emotions. I can't fathom all that has changed since last June 1st. Who knew where we'd be today. And while you always dare imagine your life with a baby, nothing I dreamed was this good...
In other news... School's out! Friday was the last day of classes for 3 whole months. I am blessed to have a job that is perfectly part-time, that I really enjoy, that is half a mile away, that allows my Mummy to watch Samara, that gives me all the creative license and gracious flexibility I need, but boy, have I looked forward to this day! We have endless summer sunshine days ahead and with the sea and swings just steps away, I know where we'll be...
