My beautiful Katherine,

You are 1 month old today!  And the time has flown.  I love this newborn period, and you have been no exception.  I love the warm cuddly feeling of having you on my chest tucked up under my chin.  I love the excuse to just sit and cuddle all day long.  Seriously we have been doing laundry once a week, and washing dishes every other day, and that's been it.


You don't really have a routine yet.  I am hoping you'll find one pretty quickly after your siblings get back, because it will help the craziness stay to a minimum.  So far you have spent the afternoons alternating between quietly alert and cat naps.  As the evening comes on, and Daddy gets home from work, you have several hours of on again off again eating and insisting on being held.  You don't like to be put down that time of day.  Despite all of our best efforts, we aren't getting you to bed, till after you eat between 12:30 and 1.  Though twice this week we managed to get you down around 11:20.  You wake up once or twice to eat between then and Daddy leaving for work.  Then you eat and sleep hard from then till around 10:30 or 11.  And I go right back to bed with you, piling up pillows on Daddy's side of the bed, to block all the sun light that streams in the big windows by my desk.  For the obvious reason, that your siblings will not sleep till 11 am, this isn't going to work for us long term.


You seem to have a fairly laid back personality.  You don't really like laying flat, whether that's on your belly or back.  You prefer the rocking cradle or being propped up with a pillow on the bed, or laying on my chest.  You really love to sit in the swing during the day.  You have been a good rider in the car.  In fact the only night in the last month that you've gone to bed at a decent time, was last Sunday night when you went to sleep in the car seat and stayed asleep till 3 am.  We just brought you in and let you sleep in the car seat.  You seem to eat well, though it's fairly short and frequent burst.  You don't mind having your clothes or diaper changed.  You don't seem to mind baths.  You love to have your hair brushed, and to hold on to my finger when I'm holding you.  You are smiling more, and I think you might be figuring out how to do it on your own, not just as a reflex, or involuntary thing.  You don't coo or laugh yet, but you do grunt alot.  You are growing, as I have had to put away the newborn sleepers this week, and we moved up to size 1 diapers on Sunday.  You are trying your best to figure out rolling over, and often when you are on our bed, you work your way onto your side and sleep that way.

Though you may feel like an only child, I have promised you this week that you aren't really.  In someways this is alot like when Britt was born - only having one child to take care of.  And lots of quiet down time in the day between feedings, during naps.  But you really have it better than he did.  Back then I still felt like a kid pretending to be an adult most days, and we didn't have a clue what we were doing as new parents.  This time around, we have been so much more low key and after raising the other 3, we have more confidence in our parenting skills/style.  Plus I have the good sense now to take naps with you, and just do what really needs doing around here, not try to catch up on every project or clean everything under the sun.


I've told you about your siblings, but I will again.  You only have one brother, but Momma thinks he's pretty special.  Britt has always been remarkable good with his sisters, I don't think you'll be any exception.  In fact, he's already asked if you can sleep in his room once you start sleeping at night.  He is loving and affectionate.  He likes to sing and has the best imagination.  He wants to take care of others, fight off the bad guys, and share everything he knows.  I'm sure he'll start teaching you about dinosaurs and superheros as soon as he gets home.




Rebecca is the wild card, you never know what to expect with her.  She can be loving - hugging on you and serenading you one minute, and then in the next second she can be angry - yelling, stomping and telling you that she doesn't "like you at all."  She is alot of fun, and she has been looking forward to your arrival more than any of the others.  She has talked to you and sung to you the last several months every morning.  She is convinced that you will "be the best sister ever, way better than Ruth."


You have one more sister, one that I only told you about on Sunday.  One who came before you, but who you can't see.  Abigail was born almost two years before you, but she couldn't stay with us.  We have no idea what she would have been like, but I'm sure that she would have been as wonderful and unique as each of you children have been.  She's burried at Little Union, and I like to walk out to see her when I particularly miss her or it's a special occasion.  One day I'm sure we'll get to meet her too.


Katherine, you are the baby.  And while, you have all been very special, very much wanted children, you might be a little better appreciated than your siblings have been.  Britt is my boy.  Ruth we call Sunshine, and Rebecca Starshine.  But you, you are our Rainbow.  And, Momma and Daddy love you so very much.

Love,
Momma