Kyiah Hesed {One Year Old}

Today, we stopped by Lawrence's school to drop off crickets for the class frog.  As I chatted with the secretary in the office, I asked her if she remembered the phone call I made last year on this day.

I hadn't wanted to call.
I didn't want to let her know I was in labor.
Granted, I was 15 days past my due date, and everyone was expecting me to have the baby at any point, but still, I didn't want anyone to know when contractions actually started.

I had told my midwife earlier that afternoon when I was at her house for a prenatal appointment.  Hoping it would be my last one, but not overly excited about the contractions I was having, despite their regularity at 5 minutes by the time I left her house to make the nearly hour drive home.  I assured her I would give her a call that night if anything noteworthy was happening.

My previous 2 labors were relatively fast.
9 hours.
6 hours.
But for some reason, I was anticipating a long, hard, drawn-out labor this time around.  I had heard those 3rd babies could throw you for a loop.

Well, mine did.
But not the way I was thinking...

A friend came over to wrap at 3 pm.
I was having contractions the entire time she was there tightening, toning, and firming.
When she left at 4, I helped a friend order some greens, taking his information while having pretty strong contractions.  Hanging up the phone, I decided I was indeed in labor and to the point where I would really appreciate a back rub or massage.

I looked at the clock.
4:30.
The secretary would be in the office for another 15 minutes at least.
I could wait...

2 minutes later, I was on the floor, dialing the number and trying to hide any emotion from voice.  When she excitedly asked me if I was in labor, I tried to be as non-chalant as possible.  Maybe.
As soon as Lawrence came on the line, I told him to come home NOW.

Thankfully, we live a mile from his school.
If you want to read the whirlwind of a birth story, check it out here!

For now, let's just say I didn't give him much time to get his head in the game.
Kyiah Hesed was born at 4:54, just 22 minutes after I called him to come home!

Our midwife didn't quite get there in time, seeing as how Kyiah decided to come so quickly.

Time hasn't slowed down much in the past year!  Today, my baby girl turned ONE!!!
How is that even possible?

The bow is bigger than she is, but let me assure you what this little girl lacks in size, she certainly makes up for in personality (much like her 2 older sisters - she has to keep up with them, right)!

She is excellent at making her voice known, and has started saying a few words - mainly Mama, which I am perfectly okay with for now.

She has no fear and is learning to climb - the stairs, onto chairs, and I'm sure she'll be standing on top of the table some morning in the near future when I turn around to get something in the fridge.

Her smile is precious.  Her giggle contagious.  One of my most favorite noises is hearing all 3 of my girls laugh and play together.  I am beyond blessed.

Dance parties are a current favorite

She's been walking for almost 3 months now, so she's almost an expert really.  She just about has running down pat.  She can certainly get where she wants to go, and fast.

One thing she hasn't seemed to master yet is sleeping.  The child has not figured out that 6-8 hours of solid sleep is a beautiful thing.  She doesn't understand that "absence makes the heart grow fonder," but rather likes to make sure I am doing okay all throughout the night.  Every 2-3 hours or so, she lets me know she was thinking about me... So sweet of her...

Maybe this lack of sleep is due to the fact that she is getting her molars in.  Well, the 2 of them up top are already there and the bottom 2 are well on their way.  No fever or anything to give me a clue this was happening and that my baby girl was growing up before my very eyes.  It just happened.  Without my permission...

Put those teeth to good use eating an apple

As I again realize how quickly time flies, I am reminding myself once more to cherish every moment, to soak it all in, while I can.

At night lately, as I try to hold and rock my baby girl, I pray over her, asking God to help her hunger and thirst for Him, to love Him with an all-out passion and to live wholeheartedly with resolute purpose.  I pray for her to live up to her name Kyiah Hesed - LIFE, steadfast, loyal, faithful.  I long to see her used of God to make Him known, to be a living testimony of His unending, never-failing abundant, gracious love for us.

If you want to know more about how we came to choose her name and why it has such special meaning to us, check out this post I wrote back when she was born.

Sadly, my prayers over her can't be too long, at least not if I want to be holding and rocking her while saying them.  Kyiah isn't one to sit still for long at all.  She's a squirmy wormy girl, as her 2 older sisters were.  I like to believe that this an indication that my daughters are movers and shakers.  They will get things done.  They will impact lives and change the world.

Heck, they already are.
They've changed my life for sure!!!

I still haven't figured out how a year has gone by, but it has.
Happy birthday, my precious Kyiah Hesed!!!
I love you to the moon and back!

Yes, go, my love. Go, and change the world!