Mixed posting...

This is your warning...this will be a mixed posting...it will include current stuff and reflective stuff...ok, there was the warning...

I can tell Kale is very glad I am home. He wakes up smiling at me and gets all excited to realize that he has been sleeping in the big bed with me. However, he is beyond ready for Da Da to come home. He continually asks for him. Tonight, he will be home. More than likely, Kale will be asleep...so the best present he will get for his first birthday is BOTH of his parents being home with him for the first time in two weeks. Not such a bad gift when you are only turning one and the french fry container from Sonic outrates your other toys. :)

Kale and I enjoyed a blueberry yogurt in bed this morning around 4:30am. I had been up since 2:30 and to say I have jetlag is an understatement. He woke up to find me eating the yogurt and was very happy when he got to sample some as well. Since we were both awake, we went to his room to play. He crashed back out around 6am...and I followed around 6:45am...and we slept until 8:30am. He promptly stunk up his diaper and while I was picking out something for him to wear, off he went. So, I grabbed the camera....this is the wild haired morning look of a little boy who is 364 days old (otherwise, still known as zero years old).

His newest thing is to stand up on our bed and hold onto the "chair rail" that runs along the wall above our bed. We don't have a headboard...so he grabs the chair rail. Sometimes, this results in a faceplant on the wall because he misjudges the distance. He doesn't like that so much.

He also performed a first today...he did patty cake all by himself...he is still working on doing all three parts together...but he can now officially do all of them without help. Most times though, he only does 2 out of the 3...clap...roll...throw.

His other new thing is to extend his pointer finger while keeping the rest of his hand closed. He doesn't point, but will try to use that extended finger to push buttons or touch things. Its quite cute, and a great start at the new task he has to learn after today...to hold up his one finger when people ask how old he is!!!

Today, Kale is not a year old. This time last year, he was still bumping around in my belly and both of us were unaware that tomorrow would be his birthday. I had no idea of the horrible night that was about to be upon me. I was doing my best to convince my body to be a nice host for him as long as possible. My body didn't listen so well...and a year ago at 7:30am tomorrow...we found out we found out we were meeting our little boy that day. My mom had stepped out of the room...so it was just me and Ep when they told me. After the doctor left...we had a few minutes alone....there were tears (of fear, frustration, and yet more fear), prayers, and the quick decision that the leading name on our list would be given to the little boy who would soon arrive. I can't believe its been a year since all of that and all that followed in the next few days and then coming weeks. I look at the first pictures of my very angry and yelling son...all 4 lbs, 11 oz of him at birth...and wonder how he has already grown into this crawling, babbling, loving, sweet, quick tempered, stubborn, Da Da obsessed, and amaze-us-on-a-daily-basis little boy.

I think back to how scared I was a year ago today...just trying so hard to be calm and keep my body from doing things it shouldn't. I was praying and hoping my little boy would be ok...I knew he would be in a NICU at birth as there was no way to avoid that. Nothing prepares you for what we experienced...and nothing could prepare us for the journey that still was ahead of us. I still don't understand why any of it happened, but it did. God has a reason for it and we may never know. I still pray that He will eventually show us the reason. But, until then I will be content and thankful and joyful about this little boy who crawls up to me and clings to my pants as I sit here typing...all the while greeting me with a big "HI!" and then using the drawstring of my pants as a chew toy, which by the way apparently taste good because he just gave me a big "ummm". It must be time for a snack.

Thank you God for this gift that is Kale George Fletcher. He is a such treasure and a blessing!

Here is a message straight from the star of the show....yes, Kale can type....I hope you can read baby babble....

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