ODE TO MY BABE

I wrote a little something about Brooklyn when she turned one and figured I should do the same for Kaydence :). A first birthday is such a landmark event, and also such a "whew.we.made.it.through.that.year." moment!

Having a second child turned my world around. I don't think that the 3rd will really do for me what the 2nd did...it made me feel just a little crazy. For me a perfectionist with "everything" under control, it was hard to delegate or give up many of the parenting tasks and things I was used to with just Brooke. It was such an adjustment to spread my time between the kids, Jimmy and myself. Some days when you have a day full of choosing between which child to tend to while the other is left screaming, you just want to give up and cry with them. But that was the first year, and that part is mostly over. Plus I've learned so much, and I and my girls are better for it all. How sweet it is to watch Brooklyn comfort her little baby sister and bring her something for comfort or suggest to me something to do for her when she is upset. And how great is it to have a baby that sleeps 12 hrs straight through the night because she learned to self soothe from her mother not being able to respond to every peep she used to make!? The loving, sharing, and independence my children learn from there being two of them is priceless.

And let me just say, I LOVE my baby girl Kaydence. She hasn't changed since the day she was born...sweet, cuddly, content, and now also funny and friendly. Don't worry, she's also developed some stubbornness and doesn't let her sister push her around anymore (right now we are trying to teach her not to bite...Brooke had a nice bruise on her cheek all last week :)). Besides just loving Kaydence and her cuteness, I guess I just mostly love how much more love I have come to have in having her. She has softened me and brought me more purpose. I thought being a mother was what I felt after Brooke, but it's more and it changes. I love my daughters and I love

my little Miss K.I.W.I!