Karis,
Today I want to share with you some of the things that I remember about you over the last three and a half years. You were my first baby, so everything was new to me and I was unsure pretty much all the time. You were very special because it took me about a year to get pregnant with you. I had been praying for you for a while before we even knew that you were on the way. You were due on December 30th, but you arrived two weeks early on December 18th. I was in labor with you for about 20 hours. It was a long and difficult delivery for both of us. We took a camera and recorded your birth, but I could barely watch it because they had to pull you out with the forcepts. Your face was bruised and swollen for a day or two, but you were still beautiful! You weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and were 20 inches long. You had a head full of dark hair, but it quickly lightened up to be the blonde that it is today. You had some stomach issues, and you only pooped like once a week. One day you will have to have your daddy tell you about the time that you pooped while I was changing you and it shot across the room. Every day was a new experience and an adventure with you. I went back to work full-time for a couple of months to finish out the school year and I hated every minute that I was away from you. I was so thankful when I was able to stay home with you as a full-time mommy. You were a thin baby, mostly because you were not getting enough milk. That was mommy's fault. I was not making enough milk and I didn't know it until I went back to work and had to pump. Someday when you have a baby, if you decide to nurse, don't let anyone tell you that its not ok to supplement with formula. Its great if you don't have to, but if your baby is not getting enough, then its not what's best. It took me three kids to figure this out, so try to be a little smarter than your mommy. Anyway, you only weighed 12 lbs at 6 months old and that's when your Dr. told me that I needed to start supplementing. When you were 7 months old, we found out that you were going to be a big sister. It was a bit of a surprise, but we were excited. You were a little late with the moving. You were 10 months old before you crawled. You wanted to crawl but you would lay on your tummy with your arms and legs stretched out as if you were trying to fly. I would try to get your legs up under you, but you were determined to leave them straight. You were 15 months when you walked. In fact, I thought you were not going to walk before Micah was born and I knew that I could not carry both of you everywhere. You were a great big sister from the very beginning even though you were only 15 months old. You have the mothering instinct already! You might have walked later than most, but you talked very early and very well. You have been able to communcate with me almost like an adult for a long time. People always told me how smart you were! I am so blessed to have such a beautiful, smart, fun daughter and I can't wait to watch you grow into a beautiful, godly woman!
This was you in the womb, I don't know how you were able to do that with your legs!
There you are in my belly!
Daddy painted your room and wrote your name on the wall.
one week old
one year...you loved cake!
meeting your baby brother
8 months old, sorry this one is out of order
