Mary Jubilee is as sweet as can be. She became a new baby once she started eating solids. At about seven months she started breastfeeding well. It was such a special gift. It only lasted about a month or two, and we transitioned her to goat’s milk after that. She still can’t drink straight cow’s milk as it makes her vomit, but thankfully processed dairy (yogurt, cheese, butter, etc.) are all okay for her.
Girlfriend LOVES to eat, and is one of the messiest eaters I’ve ever seen. She often gets a quick sink bath after meals because she’s so filthy. While I feel like she’s filling out she’s still actually quite tiny for her age - about 17.5 pounds and 27 inches. She only has two teeth. She is starting to say several words, Hi, Mama, Dada, Bub, yeah, nana (for banana) and Nana for Anne.
She loves to climb the stairs as fast as possible without being seen. As soon as she hears someone coming for her she laughs and crawls even faster. She also waves, claps, walks along furniture, dance/bounces to music, and SMILES. Oh, how she smiles!
Mary Jubilee loves to smile. She enjoys hugs, pat-a cake, books, babies, laughing, food, her little lamb, and her people. She LOVES her dad and all her siblings. It’s so sweet to see her face light up when girls get home from school, when she sees dad after work, when siblings wake up in the morning. She is so joyful.
She went to about 9 blood transfusions with Ruth and was an angel every time until the last. That day she was so upset and unlike herself that we decided it’s probably for the best if she not come along for awhile. A crawling baby on a hospital floor isn’t the best idea anyway. Maybe after she’s walking well and down to just one nap a day she’ll be a fun companion again.
Mary’s first year was filled with much difficulty for our family. There were my personal challenges, Ruth’s health challenges, changes in schooling for Heidi, and our schedule being complicated and often difficult. Yet through all of it, she developed and grew into herself. From a newborn who was quite fussy and discontented into who she is now, rarely upset and often joyful, we are so grateful. In hindsight, I wonder how much of my own stress was being expressed to her through my milk. Milk I had pumped early on and frozen she utterly rejected later on. While I did what I thought was best at the time, it does make me wonder about the connection between those things. Especially as she’s moved on from breast milk and become a different (happier) child.
So happy first birthday, Miss Mary! I love you to bits and would live though it all again for you. You are sunshine and beauty. Love you lots sweet girl!
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