Adventures with the Ratcliff Family: Happy 1st Birthday Serena!

Dear Serena Camille,

It is hard to believe that just a year has passed since you came into our lives. It feels like you have been a part of our family forever and we can't remember what life was like before you. Obviously you have grown so much and learned so much over the last year; your little personality is really starting to shine through and we just love you so much. You have taken off walking and are an expert by now. You love to wave, blow kisses, point and shake your head. Just yesterday you gave me your first real kiss and it was so sweet! You also like to give hugs when we ask for them, which we treasure so much. You are a pretty shy baby and are wary of people you don't know. In social situations you often cling to us, too scared to explore your surroundings for a bit. Eventually we can coax you out of your shell, but it's good that you aren't trusting of just anybody. You love your big sister most days, but she can really get on your nerves. I'm sorry that she likes to take the toys you are playing with (we are working on that behavior!) and smother you with hugs and kisses when you just want to be left alone. She only does that because she loves you so much. Pretty soon you are going to be a big sister and have your own little sibling to torture and tease! But you will still always be our baby girl. You are a champion eater and willing to try pretty much any food. Your favorites are oranges, peas, raviolis and tomatoes. The one time I gave you a small bite of ice cream you didn't even like it! What a good little baby you are! We are down to just one bottle a day, the one at night and that is nice. I hate to give that one up because it means you are truly not a baby anymore. Usually Daddy puts you to bed and I deal with putting Calli to sleep, but some nights we alternate. I love feeding you and rocking you in your chair and can't believe how just a few months ago I was doing this each morning at 5am. You are such a great sleeper and I don't know how we got so lucky! At three weeks you slept a 6-7 hour stretch at night. By two months that was 9-10 hours and by four months you were sleeping 7:30-7 without so much as a peep at night. These days you have the same bedtime, but will usually sleep until 8am or so!

You came into this world at just after 1:00 in the morning. You were thisclose to being an April 3rd baby, but having a 04-04-08 birthday is pretty cool! No one can ever forget that kind of date. I labored with you all day on April 3rd. I remember waking up to my first contraction at 3am and immediately knowing, somehow, right when I woke that it was a contraction. You were a week overdue at this point and I had finally given in and scheduled an induction for the following day, Friday April 4th at 5am. I really did not want one, but it seemed you were not moving out on your own and I was getting nervous about you getting too big. Anyhow, my contractions continued throughout the day, getting closer together and more intense. Calli and I went for a walk around the neighborhood in the early afternoon. By the time Richard got home from work, they were pretty consistent. But silly me, having the experience of my water breaking with Calli, I wasn't sure what labor was like when it started with contractions. I was expecting them to be just as the books say: exactly five minutes apart, lasting one minute long for one hour before heading to the hospital. This was not the case at all. Sometimes they were three minutes apart, sometimes six, sometimes lasting 45 seconds, sometimes longer than a minute. Richard thought we should go to the hospital immediately when he got home, but I insisted him and Calli eat dinner first.

After the dishes were done Calli went over to the neighbor's house and we headed to the hospital. By the time we got there, checked in, etc. and they finally checked me, I was already dilated to 7cm! I was really surprised, especially considering the labor pains weren't nearly as bad as I thought they would have been at that far along (with Calli I had pitocin so I had no idea what natural contractions felt like). I remember the nurse telling me I was handling the contractions really well for how far in labor I was. I opted for the epidural because I was too chicken to try without, but it was nice because I got to relax a bit. I really didn't want any other medical interventions, so when they wanted to break my water I wouldn't let them. Unfortunately I wasn't dilating so an hour or two later I caved and let them do that. Everything moved really quickly after that and if I had let them break my water when they wanted to, we would have been celebrating your birthday yesterday! Instead, you came into this world at 1:02am on Friday April 4th, just four hours before your scheduled eviction and a mere eight days overdue. I didn't get to see you right away because they had seen meconium in my water when it broke and so there were extra doctors and nurses on hand to whisk you away and make sure you were okay. I remember when you were first here, we didn't know what you were. I wanted to ask, but at the same time wanted to wait. It's one of those really great surprises in life and I was so anxious to know, but at the same time once I did then it would be over. It felt like forever, but the doctor finally announced "it's a girl!" Then you went over to the basinett in the corner with the nurses and doctors to check you out. I heard you crying off and on and was so excited to see you. I couldn't believe how long it was taking! They held you up, but you were too far away to really get a good look at. After more than nine months growing in my belly I wanted nothing more than to finally hold you in my arms. About a year later they bundled you up and brought you over to me and by then you had fallen asleep. I remember thinking you looked nothing like Calli and you were such a big baby! You were eight pounds, seven ounces and 20.5 inches long. Calli had been two pounds and three inches smaller than you so it was different holding a bigger baby. You had a ton of dark hair on your head, which I just loved! The hairier the baby, the better I think! Your cheeks were so full and chubby and you had that wonderful newborn smell already. I couldn't get enough of you, but after an hour or so I had to send you to the nursery for all your tests, etc. When they wheeled you off it finally hit me how tired I was! I had also been starving right before having you and couldn't stop talking about all the food I was going to eat after labor. Well I should have remembered from Calli's birth how sick I would feel after. Food was the last thing I wanted and the first thing I wanted was sleep! They wheeled me to my recovery room where the nurse spent half an hour talking about different things I needed to know. I remember thinking "seriously, can't this wait until a decent hour!??!" I had just given birth, it was 3am and my eyes were so heavy I could hardly keep them open.

They wheeled you back in the room later that morning after we got a little rest. You were still the same baby and it's kind of a surreal feeling seeing the little one you nurtured in your body here in the world for the first time. You were mostly interested in sleeping and ate almost nothing the whole time we were in the hospital. Big Sister Calli came to visit that afternoon and meet you for the first time and she was so excited. By then I was happy you were here, but all I wanted was to just go home and sleep in my own bed and be in my own house. But you and I had to spend the night before being discharged the following afternoon. We finally chose your name on that second day. I like to meet my babies before officially choosing their names and besides that, we didn't know if you were a boy or a girl. Serena is a name I have loved since I was twelve years old and I think it is such a beautiful name. It means serene or calm and just rolls off my tongue when I say it. Your middle name, Camille, comes from my grandmother who passed away when I was fourteen. I was so happy to be able to honor her and that you are carrying on her name. So there you have it, in case you were wondering where your name came from, that is where!

The first few weeks are a blur, I think that's what every new mom says. I remember you sleeping a lot and crying a bit. Not nearly as much as Calli cried thank goodness! Nursing was impossible, but you slept well. Grandma Keri came to visit when you were a week old and having her here was wonderful. When you become a mother, whether it's for the first, second, third time, you want nothing more than to share it with your own mother. It really makes you open your eyes and see just how much love your parents have for you and how much they sacrificied. And dads are wonderful no doubt, but I have new respect and awe for my mom. My mother, who spent nine long months pregnant with me, went through labor and delivery, staying up all night with a backwards baby, nursing, etc. And all that while recovering from pregnancy/delivery...as I said, a whole new respect for your mother.

Richard's wonderful mother came to visit a week after my mom left and was a great help. We had started to get into a routine by that point and things were getting easier. By the time all my help had gone, I was ready to do it on my own. I was terrified, but I was ready to try. It's funny to look back and realize how silly it was to be scared. Now two seems as easy as pie and it's three I'm terrified of!

So in honor of our sweet youngest daughter's first birthday, here are way too many pictures of her first year. Hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane with us!

Welcome to the world Serena Camille Ratcliff!

Mommy seeing you for the first time

Big Sister Calli meeting you for the first time

Daddy and his girls. There is little more precious and sweet than a daddy and his princesses. I think the two of you will have him wrapped around your fingers!

Calli got to hold and feed you a bottle for the first time when we got home from the hospital

You can Calli just checking each other out

Which one is the doll?

You were so tiny compared to our enormous cat, Lizzie

Grandma Keri meeting you for the first time when you were a week old

First bath (about 2.5 weeks)

One of my favorite early pictures of you. I love your chubby cheeks and big blue eyes! We used this for the birth announcements

Three generations

Our first family photo!

Our second family photo, taken while Grandma Molly was visiting

You and your sister sharing a really sweet moment

By three weeks old you learned how to kick off the bottom part of your wrap when you fell asleep!

You were just waking up from a nap in your own crib

Calli decided to join you in there!

You were helping Calli get ready for her third birthday party

This was taken at the toy store. We ended up buying you this exersaucer because you looked so cute in it.

I loved to look at you!

One of my favorite pictures of me with both my girls

Calli actually took this photo of the two of us.

Meeting Auntie Brittany for the first time (you were 2.5 months)

The first smile I managed to capture on camera!

Saying goodbye to Auntie Brittany after her visit

Calli and you looking so sweet and a little alike

Your first holiday was the 4th of July. It was also your three month birthday.

You decided to roll over AND laugh for the first time on 4th of July - boy were we spoiled with all these milestones in one day!

Watching the fire works with your big sister

The extended Ratcliff clan. Richard's Oma and Opa came out to visit for the 4th of July weekend along with Grandma Molly and Grandpa Bob. We hadn't seen them since Calli was eight months old! It was also the first time you got to meet your Grandpa Bob.

The great-grandparents

Enjoying your new bumbo

Meeting Grandpa James for the first time (3.5 months)

Grandma Molly and you enjoying a nice summer day

Meeting your Great-Grandma Bev for the first time (or as Calli likes to call her "Grandma-Great")

You and your "fairy godmother" Kendra

The two of you in your matching dresses, getting ready to go to your first wedding

Meeting your Great-Grandmpa Daryl and Great-Grandma Marie for the first time (also pictured: Grandpa James and Grandma Keri)

Serena the monkey!

Jumping with Daddy at Trampoline Land. As you can see, you had a blast!

Mommy and you, just hanging out in the kitchen!

Trying to sit up on your own when you were about 5 months

You can Calli, one of my favorite pictures of the two of you

You were a ladybug for your first Halloween, matching your sister. I thought this was the cutest ladybug costume ever, and even though it cost way more than one should spend one a first Halloween costume, I couldn't resist!

Once you started crawling at five months you took off exploring every inch of the house...

...including behind the couch!

I took this on your six month birthday

Your professional Christmas photo

Grandpa Bob with you and Calli on Thanksgiving

You met Auntie Allison for the first time when she came out to visit for Thanksgiving

Your first Thanksgiving! You had a little bit of turkey and kind of liked it.

I didn't even tell Calli to give you kisses for the camera, she just loves you so much!

You and Calli were helping Mommy pack for our Christmas trip to California

(Sorry there are no Christmas photos, but they are all on Grandpa James' computer and I'm still waiting for my CD)

Ringing in your first New Year, 2009 (yes, Mommy made you wear those silly hats!)

Grandpa James and Grandma Keri with you girls before we left for San Antonio

Serena Ballerina!

You and Calli helping me celebrate my 24th birthday. It was hard to believe that on my birthday the previous year you were in my belly and now you were here with us!