Day 370: Happy Birthday Mads!

For the first 11.5 months of her life Maddie never got sick. Not so much as a runny nose. As a formula feeding mom, that did wonders to soothe my traces of remaining guilt. But of course, illness chose to strike just in time for her 1st birthday and the poor girl has been a wet and snotty mess for the past three weeks. And now she's passed it on to me. I don't know how many times I've told her to use a Kleenex and cover her mouth when she coughs - I swear sometimes it's like she doesn't have a clue what I'm talking about! And of course while I am busy feeling sorry for myself and demanding constant coddling from Fernando, my one year old daughter has been generally stoic about the whole thing, pausing only briefly from her toys to rub snot into her eyes and through her hair (hey, at least I don't do that). I actually had to take a couple of days off work to recuperate, but I can tell you that a sick day is just not the same when you have a baby to care for. I admit to longing for the days when I would camp out on the couch with nothing to do but catch up on the soaps and eat frozen yogurt.

I suppose I should have started with this next bit, actually, as it is definitely the most important - Madeline is 1! We had a big party to celebrate over the weekend. To be honest I don't really understand the point of these crazy, chaotic 1st birthday parties. Obviously the kid couldn't care less. Or in Maddie's case, the kid would clearly prefer not to have her house full of people who keep wanting to cuddle with her, thus sending her into panicked shrieks that take 10 minutes to recover from. She would also probably prefer not to be the victim of a celebratory chokehold by her one little friend which has the same effect as the cuddles. Of course these parties are for us parents - which would explain the abundance of booze, too. But I suppose it has to be done, and it was fun - at least for us, if not for the birthday girl. And really, isn't that what matters?

I thought I would feel a twinge of sadness at the passing of her first year. But I didn't! I am nothing but happy and excited for her - and all of us - to be officially done with that newborn part. Because now we're getting to the fun part. She is becoming such a funny, interesting, smart, sweet little girl. I actually like hanging out with her. I like watching her learn new things, and seeing how proud she is of herself when she does. I like her goofy faces and belly laughs. I like her, period.... Now talk to me in 14 years when she's slamming doors and getting random things pierced and telling me that I just don't understand the "true love" she shares with the 20-year old that works at the gas station down the street.


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