A day in the life of the Jaelster

What a difference a year makes!  Unlike the last September 26th, today I did not:  wonder if my wife was going to die, wonder why my child came out of the womb looking like a ninja, or mainline coffee hoping I could stay up all day to figure out what the heck was going on.  (Ok, so scratch #3)

In all seriousness, though, the fact that we came through the valley of the shadow with both ladies in this family alive and healthy is something that I may never take for granted again.  And on this day of remembrance for our little family (although one of the humorous side effects of Rachel's little dalliance with hypothermic shock is that she actually doesn't remember the day), I thought that we'd take a little look at the life of Jael as she hits a year old-- narrated, of course, by Jael:

12:00 -- sleeping, of course!

2:30 -- time to eat!  Dad always looks a little cranky the first time I see him every day, and not very talkative; to make up for it, I manage to fill the silence admirably until Mama quenches my insatiable thirst;

4:30  I test the waters to see if I will be allowed to play for the day.  Lately, at this time of morning,  the parents have been downright dour.  Where Dad used to play with me regularly, especially when I bestowed my winningest smile, now he merely grunts and turns me over to Mama again.  Sometimes, Mama doesn't even wake up and talk to me when she feeds me.  I think I'll put in a complaint with management.  A loud one.

5:45 Success!! Now that I have enlisted the help of Elijah and Judah, we have been able to get Dad out of bed and downstairs.  Sometimes,if Mama isn't looking, he will even pull off my clunky foot braces and give me books to read.  It's all fun and games with him until Judah decides to "read" my book to me.  I never get it back. (sniff) Never.

6:15 Um, I think I've been forgotten in the living room...

6:35 I've had enough of this !!!  Get me off the floor!!!  I'm going to scream and wake Mama up if someone doesn't pick me up now!!!! Just what's a girl gotta do to get a little attention around here!!

6:45 Thank God for Judah.  He went upstairs and woke Mama up saying that Dad and Elijah were ignoring my yelping.  Mama always looks surprised to see me, but no matter how surprised she looks, she never forgets to put on my 'day boots.'  At least I get rid of those wrist clubs that I have to wear all night.

7:15 Whoa.  Elijah's concept of personal space needs a little fine-tuning.  I love me some adulation like any girl, but couldn't you idolize me from further away than, say, two inches?  Time for food.

8:00 Me and my two teeth are getting pretty tired out from all my cereal-eating....

9:30 Time for swimming!  I love the water.... it's like I'm weightless... this little girl loves weightless!  Love it when Dad throws me up.... love it when I'm swimming.  When I grow up, I might just be a pilot so I can fly free...

10:30  Ok, so that's harder than Michael Phelps makes it look.  I might just take a little snooze when Mama and I go get the giants from their co-op.

12:00 FOOD!  MY FAVORITE!
12:15 MORE FOOD!
12:30  Coming up on the best time of the day... everyone goes for a nap and I get Mama to myself.

1:15 Oops, forgot it was therapy day-- so much to having Mama to myself.  Still, it's ok. I like all my therapists -- I just can never remember which one's coming.  I think today it's Miss  (name redacted by parental censors)

2:30 I forgot how much I hate the stretching part of therapy... thank goodness these pipes are finely tuned to 'screech.'

3:30 A girl's gotta get her beauty rest.,.

4:30 Cartoons with the brothers!  After cartoons, it mostly turns into all-out war.  I try and stay away from the marauders, but considering my mobility's limited, I've gotten really good at ducking...

5:25 Dad!  Rescue me (ducks as book goes flying overhead)

5:45 This is my favorite time of day -- sitting on Dad's lap, not a care in the world.  Eating dinner. Lots of it.  Sometimes more than Elijah, in fact.  Unless it's pizza.  No one eats more pizza than him.

6:15 Mudballs!  Awesomest game ever! I'd explain how it's played except I really don't know-- I just sit in the corner and duck when the big cushions come flying at me... it's actually pretty reminiscent of the rest of my life.

7:15  Elijah and I go to bed.  Sometimes before bed, I like to sit in Elijah's cradle (in my room, of course) and snuggle with all the stuffed animals.  At times, I've been mistaken for one of the stuffed animals.  Embarrassing....

7:35 Seriously!  What other babies (first of all, I'm NOT a baby anymore, now that I'm 1) have to put on more gear than a football player just to go to bed!  This is ridiculous... this is outrageous!  This is ab- so -   lute - ly  .......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  P.S. My mama and dad wanted to thank everyone for their prayers (previous and continued) over the past year without which they inform me regularly that I would have been the death of them !!